Prevalence of Hoarding Disorder in a Nonclinical Sample

Abstract

Background: Hoarding disorder (HD) has been classified as a mental disorder in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). This disorder might have some individual and social burden, and there has been limited data on the prevalence of HD in Iran. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HD and its relationship with the demographic characteristics in a nonclinical sample. Materials & Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study on people who accompanied patients visiting hospitals in Rasht City, Iran, from November 2021 to February 2022. The participants were evaluated with the demographic questionnaire and the saving inventory-revised (SI-R) for measuring hoarding-related experiences. Results: A total of 884 people with a Mean±SD of age 39.45±12.85 years participated in this study. About 3.2% of participants had HD. Their mean hoarding scores had a significant difference in terms of gender, level of education, and occupation (P<0.05). Still, the prevalence of HD had no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in terms of age, gender, marital status, level of education, occupation, and place of residence. Conclusion: Based on the present study, only 3.2% of participants suffered from HD. Although in terms of gender, level of education, and occupation, a significant difference was observed in hoarding scores, the prevalence of HD had no association with demographic characteristics.