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. 2023 Mar;62(1):260-271.
doi: 10.1111/bjc.12407. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

The generational impact of household clutter

Caitlyn A Nix  1 , Mary E Dozier  1
Affiliations

The generational impact of household clutter

Caitlyn A Nix et al. Br J Clin Psychol. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: Hoarding disorder can create long-term problems for adult children of individuals with hoarding symptoms; however, the extent of the psychosocial consequences of growing up in a cluttered household are not yet fully understood. This study investigated the extent to which generational clutter (i.e., parent/caregiver and grandparent) influenced individuals' self-reported hoarding severity and psychiatric and psychosocial functioning.

Methods: A total of 1306 adults completed an online survey that included measures of hoarding, anxiety, depression, companionship and emotional support. A subsample (n = 198) reported on parent and grandparent household clutter, as well as family impact from hoarding. We used correlations, t-tests, linear and hierarchical regressions and mediation analyses to investigate whether hoarding symptoms were predicted by parent or grandparent hoarding.

Results: Parent clutter level significantly predicted participant hoarding symptoms. For participants who reported having caregivers with elevated clutter, self-reported psychosocial functioning was lower overall. Self-reported behaviour modification due to family hoarding symptoms (accommodation) was a significant predictor of participant hoarding symptoms.

Conclusions: Parent clutter and family accommodation behaviours may be a risk factor for future clutter in adult children. Further comparisons between parents and children are needed to determine whether this association increases children's risk for future hoarding symptoms.

Keywords: adult children; caregivers; hoarding; parents; psychosocial functioning.

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