title: Hoarding with and without excessive buying: results of a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research demonstrated a close relationship between hoarding disorder (compulsive hoarding, CH) and compulsive buying (CB). Hoarding disorder was included in the 5th version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (APA, 2013) with excessive acquisition as a specifier. This pilot study aimed to investigate whether individuals with both hoarding and buying symptoms (CBCH group) will present with the highest severity levels of hoarding as well as buying psychopathology compared to the respective group exhibiting only one syndrome (CH group: only hoarding, CB group: only buying).
  
  
  METHODS
  The three groups (CH: n = 40, CBCH: n = 60, CB: n = 35) completed the Saving Inventory-Revised, the Compulsive Acquisition Scale und the Compulsive Buying Scale. Data were analysed using non-parametric tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CBCH group did not differ from the CH group with regard to the severity of key hoarding symptoms such as clutter, difficulty discarding possessions, and the acquisition of free things, but showed a higher severity of CB than the CB group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the findings indicate remarkable overlap in primary features of CH in compulsive hoarders with and without excessive buying, they suggest more severe CB in individuals with both hoarding and buying symptoms compared to individuals with only CB. Future studies should address the question whether both disorders are part of a larger construct.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Möllenkamp
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Zwaan
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D000067836:Hoarding Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult