Understanding the barriers and facilitating factors to mental health help-seeking in adults with hoarding behaviours: a preliminary investigation

ObjectiveHoarding behaviour (HB) is associated with psychological distress and risk to personal and public safety. Despite the need for support, individuals with HB commonly do not seek or engage with help/treatment. The current study explored the experiences of help-seeking and barriers and facilitating factors to help-seeking in this population.MethodSemi structured interviews were conducted with fourteen individuals who self-identified as engaging in HB. The data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThe most prominent theme (control) referred to the importance that participants’ placed on being ‘in control’ of the help-seeking process. Participants described feeling both helpless/out of control and requiring complete control at different points. Preferences towards forms of help-seeking which facilitated high levels of personal control were expressed (i.e. in-house item management support, online information and support help-seeking and in-person support groups). Themes of poor literacy around mental health/hoarding disorder and stigma were also identified.ConclusionsThis is the first study to identify how limited help-seeking in hoarding may be partially explained by specific perceptions of formal treatment (i.e. predicting a loss of control, likely stigma) with implications (e.g. pre-treatment education on the collaborative nature of CBT) for clinical pathways.