Conflict of interest statement: The authors report no financial relationships relevant to the subject of this article. The views of the authors are not necessarily the official views of the DSM-5.
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Annual Research Review: Hoarding disorder: potential benefits and pitfalls of a new mental disorder
Article first published online: 5 SEP 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02464.x
© 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Issue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Special Issue: Annual Research Review issue
Volume 53, Issue 5, pages 608–618, May 2012
Additional Information
How to Cite
Mataix-Cols, D. and Pertusa, A. (2012), Annual Research Review: Hoarding disorder: potential benefits and pitfalls of a new mental disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53: 608–618. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02464.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 APR 2012
- Article first published online: 5 SEP 2011
- Accepted for publication: 29 July 2011 Published online: 5 September 2011
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- Hoarding disorder;
- DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR));
- DSM-5;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
Background: The inclusion of a new mental disorder in the nomenclature is not a trivial matter. Many have highlighted the risks of an ever-increasing number of mental disorders and of overpathologizing human behaviour. Given the proposed inclusion of a new hoarding disorder (HD) in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition), it is pertinent to discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of such a development.
Method: In this article, we examine whether HD fits with the current DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition) and proposed DSM-5 definitions of ‘mental disorder’. We next discuss the potential benefits and risks of the creation of this diagnosis. Finally, we address some additional considerations that may arise when proposing a new disorder for the nomenclature and identify some of the gaps in the knowledge base.
Conclusion: HD fits the current DSM-IV and proposed DSM-5 definitions for a mental disorder. On balance, the potential benefits of creating the new diagnosis (e.g. identification of the majority of cases who clearly suffer and need help but are currently missed out by the existing diagnostic categories) outweigh the potential harms (e.g. pathologizing normal behaviour). Whether the criteria will need modification for their use in children/adolescents is unclear and more research is needed to address this question.