Mary E Dozier1,2,3, Julie Loebach Wetherell2,4,5, Nader Amir6, V Robin Weersing6, Charles T Taylor5, Catherine R Ayers2,4,5. 1. Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, USA. 2. Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA. 3. San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA. 4. Mental Health Care Line, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA. 5. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA. 6. Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.
Abstract
Objectives: Hoarding disorder (HD) is conceptualized as a fear-based disorder and exposure to sorting/discarding possessions is a core part of treatment. However, there has been no investigation of age-related differences in emotional reaction to sorting. The objective of this study was to explore the association between age and affective response during a sorting task. Methods: Forty-nine adults with HD completed a standardized sorting task. Participants reported their current emotion before and after the sorting task and reported their subjective distress throughout the task. Results: Older participants reported significantly lower distress ratings. Only 43% of participants reported fear prior to the task and 22% reported fear after the task. The probability of reporting fear before and after the task decreased significantly with age.Conclusions: Fear may not be the emotion experienced when discarding items, particularly for older adults with HD. Future work should focus on mechanisms of action in HD treatment.Clinical Implications: Clinicians should not assume fear or anxiety to be the primary emotional response in older adults with HD when engaged in an exposure to sorting/discarding. Older hoarding patients with a more fear-oriented aversion to sorting possessions may require a treatment emphasis on increasing the percentage of items discarded.
Objectives: Hoarding disorder (HD) is conceptualized as a fear-based disorder and exposure to sorting/discarding possessions is a core part of treatment. However, there has been no investigation of age-related differences in emotional reaction to sorting. The objective of this study was to explore the association between age and affective response during a sorting task. Methods: Forty-nine adults with HD completed a standardized sorting task. Participants reported their current emotion before and after the sorting task and reported their subjective distress throughout the task. Results: Older participants reported significantly lower distress ratings. Only 43% of participants reported fear prior to the task and 22% reported fear after the task. The probability of reporting fear before and after the task decreased significantly with age.Conclusions: Fear may not be the emotion experienced when discarding items, particularly for older adults with HD. Future work should focus on mechanisms of action in HD treatment.Clinical Implications: Clinicians should not assume fear or anxiety to be the primary emotional response in older adults with HD when engaged in an exposure to sorting/discarding. Older hoarding patients with a more fear-oriented aversion to sorting possessions may require a treatment emphasis on increasing the percentage of items discarded.
Authors: David Mataix-Cols; Randy O Frost; Alberto Pertusa; Lee Anna Clark; Sanjaya Saxena; James F Leckman; Dan J Stein; Hisato Matsunaga; Sabine Wilhelm Journal: Depress Anxiety Date: 2010-06 Impact factor: 6.505
Authors: Catherine R Ayers; Mary E Dozier; Elizabeth W Twamley; Sanjaya Saxena; Eric Granholm; Tina L Mayes; Julie Loebach Wetherell Journal: J Clin Psychiatry Date: 2018 Mar/Apr Impact factor: 4.384
Authors: Catherine R Ayers; Mary E Dozier; Charles T Taylor; Tina L Mayes; James O E Pittman; Elizabeth W Twamley Journal: Cognit Ther Res Date: 2017-11-11
Authors: David F Tolin; Michael C Stevens; Anna L Villavicencio; Melissa M Norberg; Vince D Calhoun; Randy O Frost; Gail Steketee; Scott L Rauch; Godfrey D Pearlson Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2012-08