Intervention in compulsive hoarding. A case study.
A custom CBT package that targets thinking, feeling, and avoidance can help one hoarding client, and later studies add data and new settings.
01Research in Context
What this study did
One adult with compulsive hoarding got a made-to-fit CBT plan. The authors wrote up each step but gave no scores or graphs.
The therapy tackled four hoarding drivers: jumbled thoughts, strong emotional ties to items, avoidance of sorting, and beliefs that every object is vital.
What they found
The client reportedly threw out bags of clutter and kept the floor clear. No numbers were shared, so we cannot rate the size of change.
The paper is a story, not an experiment. It shows what is possible, not what is typical.
How this fits with other research
Rosqvist et al. (2002) ran a similar CBT plan in clients' homes and tracked data. Three of four adults with stubborn OCD got clear gains, giving the same approach some early muscle.
Veeger et al. (2025) moves the model to parents of 7- to 18-year-olds with OCD. Instead of treating the child, they coach moms and dads to cut family accommodation, extending the CBT frame to a new agent and age group.
Boswell et al. (2023) also follow one client, but they graph weekly scores and add a relaxation module when progress stalls. Their data-rich style shows how a later case study can keep the tailored feel yet meet modern single-case standards.
Why it matters
You can borrow the four-part hoarding map: challenge distorted thoughts, loosen emotional glue, face sorting tasks, and test belief in item utility. Pair it with daily data sheets like Rosqvist et al. (2002) or Boswell et al. (2023) to turn this narrative into measurable change for your own client with hoarding or OCD.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Historically, the compulsive hoarding of possessions has been examined in the context of other obsessive-compulsive disorders. More recently, researchers have begun to explore compulsive hoarding as a separate and distinct syndrome. The cognitive behavioral model proposed by Frost and Hartl suggests that deficits in information processing, emotional attachment problems, behavioral avoidance, and beliefs about the nature of possessions are important components in understanding compulsive hoarding. This article presents a case study of a successful intervention with a compulsive hoarder that addresses each of the components proposed in the model. Implications for future interventions are discussed.
Behavior modification, 2001 · doi:10.1177/0145445501252003