Introduction to the Special Section on Hoarding

摘要

Hoarding is defined as the acquisition of, and failure to discard, possessions of apparently limited value (Frost & Gross, 1993). This problem often results in substantial clutter that can significantly impair functioning and trigger distress and interpersonal conflicts. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that hoarding problems are surprisingly common in the general population (prevalence estimates 2.3–14%; Pertusa et al., 2010), yet it is only relatively recently that significant attention has been paid to this phenomenon. The past decade has seen a dramatic spike in published reports on hoarding (Mataix-Cols et al., 2010); however, many fundamental questions about this condition remain unanswered. The purpose of this special section of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy is to shed additional light on hoarding