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Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 3:323-338 (2003)
© 2003 Oxford University Press

Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding

   Randy O. Frost, PhD
   Gail Steketee, PhD
   Kamala A. I. Greene, MA

From the Department of Psychology, Smith College (Frost); the School of Social Work, Boston University (Steketee); the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Department of Psychology, Boston University (Greene).

Contact author: Randy O. Frost, PhD, Department of Psychology, Smith College, Bass Hall, Northampton, MA, 01063. E-mail: rfrost{at}smith.edu.

Compulsive hoarding appears to be a common variation of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is associated with elevated anxiety, depression, and disability, and that is commonly accompanied by a variety of comorbid conditions. In this article, we present a model for understanding this multifaceted problem, from which we derive specific treatment interventions that pertain to problems with information processing; excessive attachment with strong beliefs pertinent to saving possessions; avoidance of distress associated with discarding or making decisions about possessions; and excessive acquisition and difficulty discarding possessions. A case example illustrates these problems, methods of assessment, and interventions that proved successful during cognitive and behavioral treatment.

KEY WORDS: saving, acquisition, buying, collecting






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