Treatment of compulsive hoarding

Abstract

Compulsive hoarding and saving symptoms, found in many patients who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are part of a clinical syndrome that has been associated with poor response to antiobsessional medications and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Specific CBT strategies targeting the characteristic features of the compulsive hoarding syndrome have had better results. This article provides an overview of the compulsive hoarding syndrome, a review of treatment approaches and their efficacy, a case presentation, and a detailed discussion of intensive, multimodal CBT for compulsive hoarding. New insights into the neurobiological characteristics of compulsive hoarding that might direct future treatment development are also presented.