title: Characteristics of hoarding in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study determined the clinical characteristics of late-life hoarding disorder (HD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Older adults (age 60 and older) with HD (n = 55) and without psychiatric diagnoses (n = 39) were compared on psychiatric, functional, cognitive, and health-related measures. Associations between age and clinical characteristics in a large sample of mixed age (n = 210; age range: 20-78) participants with HD were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with late-life HD were characterized by substantial impairments in psychiatric, functional, cognitive, and medical status. Health risks (e.g., risks of falls and fire) were also common. However, older age was generally not associated with increased severity of hoarding or other clinical correlates (with the exception of one global clinician-rated measure of severity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Late-life HD is characterized by considerable morbidity and health risks, and these characteristics may be consistent across the lifespan in cross-sectional mixed-age samples of individuals with HD.
authors.affiliation: Anxiety Disorders Center, The Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT; Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Electronic address: gdiefen@harthosp.org.
authors.forename: Gretchen J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Diefenbach
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DiMauro
authors.forename: Randy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frost
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steketee
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Tolin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D000067836:Hoarding Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clutter; hoarding; older adults