New Study Links ADHD to Hoarding Behavior That Impacts Quality of Life

adhd hoarding behavior hoarding disorder attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge University Dr. Sharon Morein clinical hoarding disorder ADHD symptoms hoarders collectors anxiety and depression impairment and distress

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Mar 01, 06:39 am

Photo: (Photo : MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images)

A team of experts has released a new study linking hoarding behavior to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, that may affect the quality of their life.

Researchers from the Anglia Ruskin University and the Cambridge University in the U.K. found out that one in five people, who have been diagnosed with ADHD, show clear indicators of "significant hoarding." Their study also suggested that many adults with ADHD continue to struggle with hoarding behavior, albeit silently because their ADHD condition has also been overlooked.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Hoarding Behavior is a Concern

Lead study author Dr. Sharon Morein said that hoarding behavior is a concern because it can lead to a disorder. Individuals diagnosed with an actual hoarding disorder are not just simply amassing things and possessions. Morein said that their actions could trigger anxiety or depression that can hamper their functions from day to day.

While there are ranges of hoarding disorders, people who exhibit the behavior often leave their pile of things in a large clutter that can cause impairment or distress. This distinguishes a hoarder from a collector because the latter takes time and makes an effort to categorize and carefully display their collection.

Often, hoarders will also not acknowledge that they have a behavioral problem or a disorder. Thus, treating their condition is a challenge for mental health experts.

For this study, Morein and her team invited 88 participants diagnosed with ADHD, who were asked questions about their ADHD symptoms, hoarding and collecting habits, anxiety or depression indicators, and day-to-day activities. Their data were compared with 90 adults without ADHD, who were also asked the same questions.

Based on their replies, the experts determined that 81 percent of the group with ADHD diagnosis exhibited severe hoarding behavior, while only two percent of the non-ADHD group had symptoms of hoarding. The data was then replicated with 220 adults without ADHD, wherein only three percent of the participants were shown to have clinical hoarding disorder.

Routine ADHD Assessment Must Include Hoarding Disorder

Morein and her team said that routine assessments for ADHD should include hoarding disorder. Clinicians should also be aware of the links tied to ADHD and hoarding behavior as it will matter to the patient's long-term management of ADHD.

They have profiled that most hoarders with ADHD are women in their early 20s and not the stereotype late 50s women. Curiously, the DSM-5 or the American Psychiatric Association's official manual for diagnosing mental health issues only recognized hoarding as a disorder in 2013. However, the recent study has also shown that this mental health problem has significantly progressed with higher frequency for some ADHD patients.

The researchers, however, acknowledged that their study had limitations since data was studied and sourced through a self-reported survey question. The team said that further studies in a clinical setting must compound their findings.