Hoard Of Objects Research Articles

A Retrospective Study of Cat Hoarding Cases and Their Management Through Voluntary Spay/Neuter and Relinquishment In New York City

Introduction: Animal hoarding cases are complex sources of shelter intake. Cases require significant planning, collaboration, and resources, often from multiple responding organizations. Study objectives included description of cat hoarding cases in New York City not criminally pursued, case outcomes when managed by a spay/neuter and relinquishment program utilizing a collaborative approach with caregivers, and characteristics or interventions leading to better outcomes. Methods: Data were extracted from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Community Engagement (CE) case files. Eligible cases were retrieved using a keyword search and screened for inclusion criteria. Client demographics, case factors, and outcomes were described with descriptive statistics. Data were further analyzed using adjusted logistic regression models to investigate variables predictive of outcomes. Results: The study population included 79 cases with a median population size of 22 cats. The majority of clients were female, lived alone, and had high levels of social vulnerability. Object hoarding was reported in 29.1% of cases and unsanitary conditions in 68.4% of cases. Almost one-third (30.4%) identified as rescuers or community cat caregivers. At the time of the first interaction with CE, 88.6% of clients were interested in spay/neuter and 76.0% in surrender services. Social service agencies were involved in the initial CE intervention in 26.4% of cases. Successful outcomes were defined as cases in which clients were left with a manageable population of cats, or all cats were removed. Successful outcomes were achieved in 67.1% of cases after the first CE intervention. Recidivism occurred in 41.5% of these cases. Clients who showed an initial interest in surrender were 10 times more likely (OR 10.0, P = 0.014) to experience a successful outcome than clients not interested in surrender. Significant predictors of re-collection included clients identifying as rescuers (OR 4.8, P = 0.039) and the involvement of human service agencies during or after the CE intervention (OR 6.1, P = 0.041). Conclusion: Results demonstrate animal hoarding cases involving cooperative caregivers and rescuers can be successfully managed by programs using a collaborative approach with clients. The high rates of initial interest in spay/neuter and surrender in caregivers suggest a need to expand access to veterinary care and strategically manage case intake into shelters. Further interdisciplinary research is needed on how mental health, social service, and animal service providers can attain successful outcomes long-term and reduce recidivism in animal hoarding cases.

Association of hoarding case identification and animal protection programs to socioeconomic indicators in a major metropolitan area of Brazil.

The present study assessed the identification of animal and object hoarding disorder cases by contact and mapping and the presence of animal protection programs in association with seven social–economic indicators of the metropolitan area of the ninth-biggest metropolitan area of Brazil. City Secretaries of Health and Environment provided demographic information and responded to a questionnaire. Overall, a very high level of hoarding case identification per municipality was associated with a higher Human Development Index, population, density, and income and related to distance from Curitiba, the capital of Parana State. Low and very low levels of hoarding case identification were related to greater area, higher Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), inequality, illiteracy, and rural areas. Very high identification level of animal protection programs was also associated with higher HDI, density and population, urban area, and high income, and geographical area. Similarly, low and very low levels of animal protection programs identification were major explained by low income, illiteracy, and distance related to higher population, urbanization, and higher HDI. In summary, better identification of hoarding cases and animal protection programs have shown an association with better socioeconomic indicators and higher population, density, and urban area. Whether municipalities with better human socioeconomic indicators may stimulate society's demands for identification of cases of individuals with hoarding disorder and animal programs should be further established. Regardless, animal health and welfare have been associated with improving human quality of life in a major Brazilian metropolitan area.

Animal hoarding cases in England: Implications for public health services.

Hoarding disorder is characterized by an accumulation of possessions due to excessive acquisition of or difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value and is estimated to affect 2–6% of the population. Animal hoarding, a distinct subset of hoarding disorder, has a significant public health impact on the humans involved, as well as animal welfare. Individuals exhibit self-neglect, apathy, social withdrawal and object hoarding; living within squalid, deteriorated, structurally unsafe and uninhabitable premises, alongside neglected animals. Cases are complex, costly and impact on a range of responding service providers. Effective case management is poorly understood and researched, with published literature in England particularly sparse. Improving understanding of the characteristics of these cases is the first step in informed case management. This research is the first exploration of the characteristics of animal hoarders in England and the areas where cases were located. Information about prosecutions involving large numbers of animals that were reported in the media was systematically obtained. This identified 66 cases between January 2015 and December 2020. Geospatial analysis exploring characteristics of locations where animal hoarding cases are also reported. Findings were broadly consistent with the international literature in that females (64%), those living alone (71%) and those with a mean age of 49 were well represented. Cats (61.5%) and dogs (60%) were the most commonly hoarded species. There was a mean of 44 animals per case and dead or animals requiring euthanasia found in 53% of cases. Key characteristics of the areas where cases were found highlight urban, densely populated, and high levels of deprivation being the most represented. Evidence of recidivism was evident in 39% of cases, suggesting that prosecution is not an effective rehabilitator. Animal hoarding raises serious implications for Public Health Services, and the lack of current effective case management strategies are discussed.

Noah’s Syndrome: Systematic Review of Animal Hoarding Disorder

Abstract Animal Hoarding Disorder (AHD) is a recently acknowledged psychiatric syndrome regarded as a form of Hoarding Disorder. Despite its great complexity, AHD has been underestimated both within and outside the academic community. This systematic review of the literature will assess some features to give a description of the syndrome. We have selected 26 empirical investigations which have been analyzed for such purpose. Moreover, we have estimated the mean values of some variables such as age (55.6 years old), gender (74.9% women), households (51.8% single-person), unemployment (53.6%), number of animals per case (64.1), presence of dead animals (32.9%) and object hoarding co-morbidity (59.5%). Results will be discussed to highlight AHD particular features, the need for an integrated view around the One Welfare concept and the need for an interdisciplinary approach. Given its complexity, we recommend acknowledging AHD as a separate nosographic entity.

Sociodemographic, income, and environmental characteristics of individuals displaying animal and object hoarding behavior in a major city in South Brazil: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aim:Hoarding cases have not been researched in depth in developing countries, such as Brazil. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of people with hoarding behavior in Curitiba, Brazil.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted based on complaints about hoarding situations received by the City Hall. The data on sociodemographic, income, and environmental characteristics of individuals displaying animal and object hoarding behavior were obtained and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analyses.Results:Out of the 113 hoarding cases reported, 69 (61.06%) were fully assessed. Most of the participants (43; 62.32%) were women, and it was observed that most of the animal hoarding cases were women (p=0.02). The average age was 62.47 years old, and most of them (44; 63.76%) had studied up to the middle school level. People associated with object hoarding belonged to the lower income category (p=0.031). In most cases, the homes had an unpleasant odor (45; 65.21%), and this was prevalent in cases involving women (p=0.004) and animals (p=0.001). The risk of fire (24 [34.78%]) and landslip (9 [13.04%]) was more frequent in the case of object hoarding (p=0.018 and 0.021, respectively).Conclusion:The description of characteristics of individuals with hoarding behavior may assist in understanding the magnitude of this public health problem in Brazil and shed light on the need to develop studies on the health conditions of people and animals that live in these situations.

Beside the Ocean: Coastal Landscapes at the Bay of Skaill, Marwick, and Birsay Bay, Orkney. Archaeological Research 2003–2018. By DavidGriffiths, JaneHarrison and MichaelAthanson. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books. 2019. xxviii + 346 pp. £45. ISBN 978 1 78925 096 1 (hardback); ISBN 978 1 78925 097 8 (epub).

Beside the Ocean: Coastal Landscapes at the Bay of Skaill, Marwick, and Birsay Bay, Orkney. Archaeological Research 2003–2018. By DavidGriffiths, JaneHarrison and MichaelAthanson. Oxford and Philadelphia: Oxbow Books. 2019. xxviii + 346 pp. £45. ISBN 978 1 78925 096 1 (hardback); ISBN 978 1 78925 097 8 (epub).

A description of 17 animal hoarding case files from animal control and a humane society

This study describes 17 publicly available cases of animal hoarding, a special manifestation of hoarding disorder. The cases, which included court documents, animal service documents, photographs, and newspaper clippings, were reviewed by Masters-level clinicians and a veterinarian in private practice. The veterinarian rated the animals in the case files for possible neglect. Over half of the homes had signs of object hoarding. The most commonly hoarded animals were cats, dogs, and rabbits. The majority of animals in the cases reviewed required veterinary care. Individuals with animal hoarding often lack insight about the condition of their animals and require community intervention.

Group cognitive-behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Previous meta-analysis has reported the rate of reliable and clinically significant changes in hoarding disorder (HD) after cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) based on the classical CBT model of HD, as between 42% and 25%. However, in this analysis, different types of therapy (group vs individual, G-CBT and I-CBT, respectively), different providers (psychologist vs nonpsychologist), and different diagnosis (HD vs hoarding behaviour) were analysed together. Hence, it remains unclear if reported rate of changes was due to limits of the CBT model of HD or due to the fact that different applications of the model were analysed together. The aim of this meta-analysis is to highlight shortcomings in the description of existing approaches in G-CBT in HD and provide an up-to-date review of the current state of efficacy. We searched references for treatment trials of G-CBT for HD in adults with object hoarding, where treatment was conducted by a professional in PubMed, PsychINFO and Web of Science databases, and ResearchGate (for grey literature). Data on participants, treatment modalities, and outcomes were extracted; treatment effect-size was meta-analysed. Five hundred and forty-three references were found; after title and abstract screening, eight articles (178 participants) were retained of which seven were included in the meta-analysis. G-CBT showed improvement of HD severity at posttreatment (Hedge's g=0.96). The rate of clinically reliable changes across groups of treatment was 21%-68% (M=36.7%; SD=12.1%). The meta-analyses showed a statistically but not clinically significant impact of age on effect-size. No publication bias was found. There is strong evidence supporting the efficacy of G-CBT including modified or extended versions of classical G-CBT protocols. However, controlled trials with follow-up assessment are needed to evaluate long-term G-CBT efficacy for HD. As well, the rate of clinically significant changes is low; further research on the HD model could improve the efficacy of G-CBT.

Animal Hoarding Disorder: A new psychopathology?

This study aimed to characterize the sociodemographic profile of animal hoarders in a southern city of Brazil. In addition, it aimed to propose Animal Hoarding Disorder as a new nosological category, distinct from Hoarding Disorder. Thirty-three individuals with Animal Hoarding Disorder, 73% female and 60% elderly, composed the sample. The average age of the sample was 61.39 years (SD = 12.69) and the average period that individuals hoarded or lived with a large number of animals was 23.09 years (SD = 15.98.) It was observed that 56.7% of the sample hoarded other inanimate objects, besides the animals. The total number of hoarded animals was 1.357 and the average number of animals per hoarder was approximately 41 (SD = 24.41). Significant differences between hoarding disorder and animal hoarding are discussed. Unlike hoarded objects, hoarded animals generally do not obstruct domicile environments. The processes of disengaging from or donating animals also differ from those of object hoarding, since there is an affectional bond with lives and not with unanimated objects. In this sense, the characterization of Animal Hoarding Disorder as a new mental disorder may arouse great interest from both clinical professionals and researchers.

I Don’t recycle! An organic hoarding disorder

IntroductionHoarding often occurs without the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), showing distinguishable neuropsychological and neurobiological correlates and a distinct comorbidity spectrum. Furthermore, it presents itself secondarily to other psychiatric and neurobiological disorders. Therefore hoarding disorder has been included as independent diagnosis in DSM-5.ObjectivesWe aim to expose the possible organic etiology of a hoarding disorder case with atypical presentation.Materials and methodsWe present a case of a 48 years old male patient who was brought to the hospital by the police after being reported for unhealthy conditions in his home. In the home visit paid by the Social Services an excessive hoarding of objects and trash was detected. A possible hoarding disorder was diagnosed in the psychiatric assessment. Among other diagnostic test, a brain CT was conducted, in which a frontal meningioma was identified. After surgical treatment, hoarding symptoms diminished significantly.DiscussionA significant part of the hoarding disorders are attributed to primary psychiatric disorders, resulting in potentially treatable organic pathology going unnoticed.ConclusionIt's important to rule out organic etiology before proceeding to make a definitive hoarding disorder diagnosis, optimizing that way the treatment options.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Knowledge takes up space, a family affair

IntroductionPrevious research suggests that hoarding aggregates in families and is associated with health, safety risks and family problems. Hoarding symptoms appear to be more common among first-degree relatives of people who hoard. A predominance of shared hoarding disorder has been observed among female relatives.ObjectivesWe present an atypical case report describing hoarding symptoms among first-degree male relatives who present two different subtypes of hoarding disorder.Materials and methodsWe report the case of a 38 years old male patient, attended for the first time by the mental health services at the age of 22, and being diagnosed of severe OCD at that moment. In the home visit paid by the social services, an excessive object hoarding was observed, including the presence of over 40,000 books.Moreover, they found a 38 years old man looking severely deteriorated; when they ask him about it, the patient's father admits to having been isolated in the house for almost 14 years. Hoarding history was gathered, through the acquisition of various objects by the patient's father, dating back to over 30 years ago.DiscussionThe harmonic coexistence for over a decade between two patients affected with a hoarding disorder with two different clinical setting subtypes was only made possible by the complementary nature of their symptoms.ConclusionThe hoarding disorders amongst more than one person living under the same roof are uncommon, can present themselves in both genders and can exhibit different symptoms.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Happily Ever After? A Hellenistic Hoard from Tel Kedesh in Israel

A hoard of objects was found in 2008, buried under a floor pavement of a room in the Hellenistic administrative building at Tel Kedesh in northern Israel. The hoard consists of an Eros terracotta figurine, glass astragals and gaming pieces, writing paraphernalia made of metal, and a hairpin. In this article, I explore the hoard, its meaning, and its context in terms of findspot and the geographical location of the site on the periphery of Hellenistic Phoenicia. Based on the objects from the hoard, as well as on literary and visual sources from the Hellenistic world and particularly from the southern Levant, I argue that the objects were the property of a young, upper-class bride who buried them as part of a premarriage ritual. Additional figures can be found under this article’s abstract on AJA Online.

Frequency and spatial distribution of animal and object hoarder behavior in Curitiba, Paraná State, Brazil.

This study aimed to establish the frequency and spatial distribution of animal and object hoarding in Curitiba (Paraná State), the eighth most populous city in Brazil. All hoarding complaints received by the City Secretaries of Health, Environment and Social Assistance between September 2013 and April 2015 were collected (n = 226) and suspicious cases were individually investigated. A total of 113/226 (50%) of complaints were confirmed as hoarding cases, representing an overall ratio of 6.45 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Curitiba, of which 48/113 (42.5%) involved object hoarders, 41/113 (36.3%) animal hoarders and 24/113 (21.2%) both animal and object hoarders. A correlation of total identified cases with neighborhood population density and all population stratums analyzed (total, gender, age) was significantly positive (p < 0.01), and with neighborhood mean monthly income (r = -0.2; p = 0.03) significantly negative. A spatial cluster of cases was found in the north of the city (OR = 8.57; p < 0.01). Hoarding cases were relatively frequent in Curitiba and were associated with population distribution patterns and inversely related to neighborhood income.

An Exploratory Investigation of Animal Hoarding Symptoms in a Sample of Adults Diagnosed With Hoarding Disorder.

The extant research on animal hoarding has a dearth of information on animal hoarding tendencies in adults diagnosed with hoarding disorder (HD). In the present study, we investigated possible recurrent animal hoarding behavioral and symptom patterns in individuals diagnosed with hoarding disorder. Hoarding severity scores from baseline assessments for 65 community-dwelling adults diagnosed with HD were analyzed with respect to their present and past animal ownership characteristics. Approximately half of participants reported currently owning pets, and pet owners in the sample reported currently owning an average of two pets. Of the participants who reported currently owning animals, 10% reported having no rules for their pets' behaviors, 51% reported having made at least one sacrifice for their pets, 54% reported having had at least one pet in childhood, and 29% reported that they believed they have a "special ability" to communicate with their pets. The results of the present study suggest that animal hoarding is not necessarily present in individuals diagnosed with HD. No significant associations of current pet ownership characteristics with present hoarding severity were observed. Reported maximum number of pets owned in childhood was significantly correlated with present object hoarding symptom severity.

A Hoard of Military Awards, Jewellery and Coins from Colchester

AbstractA hoard of objects found at the early Roman colony at Colchester in a small hole scraped into the floor of a house destroyed during the Boudican revolt includes a group of high-quality gold jewellery, three silver military awards, a bag of coins, an unusual silver-clad wooden box and other items. Buried in haste as the British approached, they provide a remarkably clear image of one couple's background, achievements, taste and social standing. Abullashows that the man was a Roman citizen, the awards that he was a veteran soldier of some distinction, while parallels for the woman's jewellery suggest that it was acquired in Italy.

Accumulation and Archives: Sophie Calle’s Prenez soin de vous

French project artist Sophie Calle has become well-known for her iconoclastic performance art that blends visual and textual elements. Beginning with Les Dormeurs in 1979, in which she invited 24 strangers to sleep in her empty bed and photographed them hourly, through her project of following people around Paris and photographing them like a private detective in Suite venitienne, Calle has blurred the boundaries between private and public, between photographer and photographed, and between viewer and participant. In this article, I focus on her recent exhibition, Prenez soin de vous. The title comes from the last line of an email received by Calle in which a lover ends their relationship. Rather than answer, file, or simply delete the message, Calle gave a copy of it to 107 women and asked them each to respond to it from the perspective of their different professions. Thus a singer sings it, a philosopher writes a piece in response to it, a DJ raps it, an accountant talks about the financial implications of it, a sexologist analyzes it, a typesetter corrects it and so on. The result is a mixed-media exhibit consisting of texts, photographs, films, and recordings. Although this was originally staged for the Venice Biennale of 2007, this paper looks specifically at the way in which it was staged in France: in the former Bibliotheque Nationale de France, rue Richelieu. In this article, I analyze this exhibit in terms of the accumulation that it stages. I show that the exhibit performs a hoarding of objects from different sources that, taken together, takes the notion of collective autobiography into new terrain. Through a discussion of Derrida’s Mal d’archive, I examine the living archive that the exhibition comprises. Interpreted in terms of the Bibliotheque Nationale that housed them, the textual and visual artifacts of this exhibition become an accumulation within a site of accumulation and push Calle’s innovation further, beyond the re-inscription of female subjectivity, the play between seeing and being seen, and the blurring of the public and private for which she is already celebrated.

Characteristics of animal owners among individuals with object hoarding

Animal hoarding is an understudied phenomenon and a potentially severe behavioral disorder that has serious negative effects on the individuals and the hoarded animals. The present study assessed animal hoarding behaviors and their effects among a large sample of self-identified individuals who hoarded objects and also owned animals (n=550) and family/friends of people with hoarding (n=494). The sample was recruited from a database of over 10,000 individuals who requested information regarding hoarding. The study reports on demographics, possible differences in object versus animal hoarding, methods of acquiring animals, and level of insight regarding hoarding behaviors. Those with more animals were more likely to make sacrifices with regard to money, job, social life, as well as cleanliness of the home, but no difference between groups was found for the overall condition of the home. Family members of people owning several animals believed that their loved ones made significant sacrifices in the above mentioned areas, as well as in the overall condition of the home. Similarities and differences between those who hoard objects vs. animals are discussed with regard to insight and methods of acquisition.

Hypothalamic knife cuts dissociate maternal behaviors, sexual receptivity, and estrous cyclicity in female hamsters

Female hamsters were tested for their response to pups as virgins, then received sagittal cuts either lateral to the medial preoptic area-medial anterior hypothalamus (anterior cuts) or lateral to the medial anterior hypothalamus-ventromedial nucleus (posterior cuts). Postoperatively females were tested: (a) as virgins, for changes in pup retrieval and cannibalism, (b) for mating behavior, (c) for maternal care and cannibalism of their own pups, and (d) for object hoarding. Anterior cuts converted retrieving virgins to cannibalistic ones and reduced nest builing. All females with anterior cuts cannibalized their litters within a few days of parturition. Half of these females did retrieve pups in home cage tests during the first 3 days postpartum. However, unlike controls, when tested in a neutral arena 5–6 weeks later, no pup retrieval was seen, although most would hoard objects. In contrast, posterior cuts reduced pup retrieval and cannibalism in virgins, and disrupted object hoarding. These cuts did not reduce postpartum pup retrieval, but did reduce postpartum cannibalism. Anterior cuts did not reduce sexual receptivity; posterior cuts reduced sexual receptivity without eliminating ovulation. Anterior cuts are interpreted as having a somewhat selective effect of reducing maternal responsiveness by cutting the lateral connections of neurons in the medial anterior hypothalamus and adjacent medial preoptic area, while posterior cuts disrupt sexual receptivity by cutting lateral connections of the ventromedial hypothalamus which travel in the region of the supraoptic commissures