title: Hoarding behaviour in an Italian non-clinical sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hoarding is associated with significant impairment. Although traditionally considered as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), some authors have proposed that pathological hoarding could be considered as a stand alone condition. The prevalence of pathological hoarding behaviour has been shown to be high in some countries, but little is known about the prevalence and correlates of hoarding in the non-clinical population in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the prevalence of self-reported hoarding behaviour using the Italian version of the Saving Inventory-Revised, as well as the association between hoarding and various clinical correlates, including obsessive-compulsive symptoms, compulsive buying, anxiety, and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of pathological hoarding behaviour in two studies was between 3.7 and 6.0%. No differences were found between hoarding and non-hoarding participants with regard to gender, age, marital status, level of education, and employment status. Significant correlations were found between compulsive hoarding and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and also between hoarding and a measure of compulsive buying, even after controlling for anxiety and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that pathological hoarding may also be prevalent in Italy and highlight the need for further epidemiological studies using validated instruments to assess hoarding disorder.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bulli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carraresi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychology and Psychotherapy, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stopani
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, UK.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pertusa
authors.affiliation: Smith College, Northampton, USA.
authors.forename: Randy O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Frost
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D000067836:Hoarding Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult