Pilot Trial of Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding Compared to Wait List Control

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinical Trial

Official title:

Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment of Compulsive Hoarding

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00073346
• Other study ID #: R21MH068539
• Secondary ID: R21MH068539DATR
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: September 1, 2003
• Est. completion date: July 9, 2008

Study information

• Verified date: January 2020
• Source: Boston University Charles River Campus
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study developed and tested a specialized cognitive and behavioral treatment for the symptoms of hoarding disorder, including excessive acquiring, difficulty discarding items, and extensive clutter in the home.

Description:

Compulsive hoarding is characterized by excessive acquisition of possessions, difficulty discarding possessions, and excessive clutter. This condition is resistant to standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions that have proven effective in treating other obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a specialized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) designed for treating hoarding symptoms.

This study consists of three phases. In Phase 1, pilot data from previous studies were examined to develop an intervention suitable for use in a waitlist trial. In Phase 2, pilot study information were used to develop and test a treatment manual for compulsive hoarding. During this phase, treatment was applied flexibly to allow for variations in treatment duration and choice of techniques. During Phase 3, participants were randomly assigned to 26 weekly sessions of CBT or to a 12-week wait-list control, followed by active treatment for a fixed duration of 26 sessions. Therapist adherence and competence were assessed through audiotaped therapy sessions.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 52
• Est. completion date: July 9, 2008
• Est. primary completion date: December 1, 2006
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria:

• Display at least moderately severe hoarding symptoms

• Must live within 45 minutes of Boston, MA or Hartford, CT

Exclusion criteria:

• Ten or more sessions of cognitive behavior therapy for hoarding

• Concurrent psychotherapy or medications

• Suicidal, psychotic, or other psychiatric symptoms requiring hospitalization

• Compulsive buying symptoms that are part of a manic phase of bipolar disorder

• Mental retardation, dementia, brain damage, or other cognitive dysfunction that would interfere with the study

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Cognitive Behavioral Treatment

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	BostonUCRC	Boston	Massachusetts
United States	Hartford Hospital, Institute of Living	Hartford	Connecticut

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Boston University Charles River Campus	National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Saving Inventory-Revised	Self-report questionnaire of hoarding severity; total score range = 0 to 92; higher values indicate more symptoms	change from baseline to week 12; change from baseline to week 26
Secondary	Hoarding Rating Scale	Interviewer measure with 5 questions to assess hoarding severity; total score range = 0 to 40; higher values indicate more symptoms	change from baseline to week 12; change from baseline to week 26

External Links

•   Click here for more information about compulsive hoarding.