The Anxiety Disorders Center is conducting several studies on compulsive
hoarding. Compulsive hoarding is a problem of excessive clutter in one's
home, usually associated with difficulty discarding items and/or acquiring
(either purchased or free) a number of items that one does not need or use
and/or cannot afford. In order to
participate in any of the following studies, you must be able to travel to
The Institute of Living in Hartford, CT.
One of the studies, in collaboration with Smith College and Boston
University, examines how the problem with clutter started, the relationship
between hoarding and other kinds of emotional problems, and your thoughts,
emotions and beliefs in relation to clutter, saving, and acquiring. This
study involves coming into the clinic for an interview as well as completing
a number of questionnaires. It also involves a home visit by a clinician.
People may participate in this study if they live within a 40 minute drive
of Hartford.
An additional study examines cognitive functioning in
compulsive hoarding. In addition to completing questionnaires, you will
participate in neuropsychological tests that evaluate attention,
concentration, memory, and problem-solving.
In a third study, we are interested in understanding
brain functioning and activity in compulsive hoarding. This study involves
coming into the clinic for some interviews and questionnaires as well as
completing a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, in which we
examine how your brain responds to different tasks.
People who have a problem with compulsive
hoarding, but do not meet criteria for these studies may still be eligible
to participate in future research and are welcome to contact us for more
information. If you are
interested in participating in this study, please click here for the contact information.
