 wasteful to discard them.
As for ‘sentimental’ value, items take on heavy emotional significance, making it difficult for hoarders to throw them away.
There is also evidence that ethno-cultural factors may predispose people to think and feel this way. In Chinese culture for example, the emphasis on thriftiness normalises the behaviour of holding on to items that were achieved through hardship. Additionally, socioeconomic factors also play a role. Childhood deprivation and emotional insecurity born out of difficult livelihoods can manifest in hoarding behaviours.
One of the study’s subjects, an elderly lady, regards stuffed toys – which are still wrapped in their original plastic bags – among her prized possessions. She notes that growing up in a poor family meant her mother could never afford to buy stuffed toys. Hence, the plush toys she collected has grown in emotional value.
Seniors are particularly susceptible to hoarding tendencies as ageing often causes support circles of friends and family to shrink, leaving seniors in greater social isolation.
In Lin’s study, all the interviewees were living alone and had little to no social support to speak of.
Finally, hoarding is known to be a chronic and progressive condition – life events and ageing-associated factors may introduce stressors and increase the severity of hoarding.
As clutter builds up, hoarders are more likely to experience cognitive indecisiveness – paralysing them and their ability to decide what, in their vast collection, to discard.
Community-based approach to building awareness needed
There is more than one way to treat hoarding behaviour, and much of it depends on whether it stems from an underlying mental health issue. In such cases, treating the issue can sometimes reduce the person’s hoarding tendencies. For example, psychotherapy – specifically cognitive behavioural therapy – is increasingly recognised as an effective treatment.
However, if the underlying factors of poverty and social isolation are not treated, hoarders can very easily fall