Enhancing Treatment of Hoarding Disorder With Personalized In-Home Sorting and Decluttering Practice (BITS)

Building Community-Academic Partnerships for the Evidence-Based Treatment of Hoarding Disorder

The proposed study aims to investigate the efficacy of adding in-home decluttering practice to Buried in Treasures Workshop (BIT) facilitated group treatment for hoarding disorder.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Hoarding Disorder; Hoarding; Clutter
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Facilitated group therapy with behavioral practice; 18 weeks

Detailed Description

Patients participate in Buried in Treasures Workshop (BIT) that has been shown to improve symptoms of hoarding disorder. The investigators hypothesize that adding in-home decluttering practice to the BIT workshop will decrease hoarding symptoms and level of clutter over time.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
      • Stanford University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Individuals with Hoarding Disorder:

1. Age 18 to 70 years
2. Either gender and all ethno-racial groups
3. Physically healthy male or non-pregnant female.
4. Hoarding Disorder primary condition
5. Willing and able to understand and complete consent and study procedures
6. English speaking

Exclusion Criteria for Individuals with Hoarding Disorder:

1. Current or past history of bipolar, psychotic or eating disorders, substance dependence, or substance abuse in the last year.
2. Clinically at risk of suicide with Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Suicidal Ideation Subscale of 4 or higher (i.e. suicidal intent without specific plan)
3. Major medical or neurological conditions that increase the risk of participation or that would prevent completing assigned behavioral practice tasks.
4. Unable or unwilling to allow study staff into home for home assessment
5. Currently at high risk for eviction
6. Animal hoarding or squalor

Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls:

1. Age 18 to 70 years
2. Either gender and all ethno-racial groups
3. Physically healthy male or non-pregnant female.
4. Willing and able to understand and complete consent and study procedures
5. English speaking

Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls:

1. any current or lifetime psychiatric diagnosis
2. current or past use of psychotropic medication
3. major medical or neurological problem (e.g., unstable hypertension, seizure disorder, head trauma)
4. Metal in body or any other contraindication for MRI

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Immediate Treatment; Facilitated group therapy with behavioral practice; 18 weeks	Behavioral: Facilitated group therapy with behavioral practice; 18 weeks; Facilitated group therapy for hoarding disorder with behavioral practice
Experimental: Delayed Treatment; Facilitated group therapy with behavioral practice; 18 weeks (after a 18-20 week delay)	Behavioral: Facilitated group therapy with behavioral practice; 18 weeks; Facilitated group therapy for hoarding disorder with behavioral practice
No Intervention: Healthy Control; This group is matched to the immediate treatment group on age and gender. They do not receive an active treatment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R)	The SI-R is a 23-item questionnaire with 3 factor-analytically defined sub-scales for difficulty discarding, excessive clutter, and compulsive acquisition	Change from baseline at 8 weeks and 16 weeks after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Clutter Image Rating Scale	Three sets of photographs, each containing nine photos of a single room with varying levels of clutter. A selection is made as to which photograph best resembles their own home.	Change from baseline at 8 weeks and 16 weeks after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Carolyn Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Rodriguez Lab Website
• Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez Faculty Page

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 20, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2016
• First Posted (Estimated): July 25, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: hoarding disorder; hoarding; clutter
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Hoarding Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: 36788; K23MH092434 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO