An interventional study of In-home decluttering practice in Hoarding Disorder, sponsored by Karolinska Institutet. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Sweden. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-19.
Sponsored by Karolinska Institutet · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The primary aim of trial is to determine the clinical efficacy of in-home decluttering augmentation of group CBT for reducing hoarding severity in adults with HD. The trial takes place in Sweden.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the current evidence-based treatment for HD but the majority of sufferers remain symptomatic after CBT with impairing levels of clutter in their homes. Home visits, with a focus on in-home decluttering, have in previous research been shown to be a promising intervention when combined with CBT. However, augmenting CBT with subsequent home visits has not yet been tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In response to this, in this trial, we aim to investigate the efficacy of a coordinated intervention, consisting of CBT and in-home decluttering for HD, in an RCT. In this trial, 90 participants with HD will initially receive 12 sessions of CBT through a psychiatric outpatient service. After CBT, participants will be randomized to receive either 10 home visits in 10 weeks, or to a wait list condition. Our hypothesis is that augmenting CBT with home visits will lead to a reduction in hoarding symptoms and clutter and improved daily functioning compared to wait list. We will also investigate the cost-economical aspects of the intervention. Results from this trial have the potential to reveal whether in-home decluttering should be added to CBT in order to reduce symptoms of hoarding and improve function in indviduals with HD.
Exclusion Criteria:
Study participants receive weekly sessions of in-home decluttering for 10 weeks.
Behavioral: In-home decluttering practice
Study participants receive weekly session of in-home decluttering after a 10 week delay.
The in-home decluttering intervention comprises 10, 1.5-hour home-visits over the course of 10 weeks. These home visits are personalized, goal-oriented and focused on decluttering. They include 1) a brief check-in, 2) guided unclutter time 3) a reflective period during which participants share their thoughts and objectives for the coming week, and 4) homework assignments.
Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R)
The SI-R is a 23-item questionnaire with 3 sub-scales: 1) difficulty discarding, 2) excessive clutter, and 3) excessive acquisition.
Time frame: Change from baseline (week 0) to post-treatment (week 10),
Clutter Image Rating Scale (CIR)
Three sets of photographs, each comprising 9 photos of a room with varying levels of clutter. A selection is made as to which photograph best resembles the room of the participant.
Time frame: Change from baseline (week 0) to post-treatment (week 10).
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Karolinska Institutet