Exploring the Wide-Ranging Outcomes of Hoarding Disorder: Understanding the Extent of Its Comorbidity with Other Mental Health Conditions and Its Impact on Childhood Development

Doneva, Silviya Petkova (2025) Exploring the Wide-Ranging Outcomes of Hoarding Disorder: Understanding the Extent of Its Comorbidity with Other Mental Health Conditions and Its Impact on Childhood Development. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Hoarding disorder (HD) is a persistent and disabling mental health condition, associated not only with a considerable negative impact on the affected individual but also with the ability to negatively affect multiple systems around them. The current thesis portfolio aimed to explore, two distinct, yet interconnected aspects of complexity and vulnerability in HD: one at the individual level, focusing on the presentation profile of the condition, and the other within the family system, evaluating its impact on others from a systemic perspective. The systematic review used narrative synthesis to examine mental health comorbidities in HD, excluding conditions for which the cooccurrence with HD has either already been established or would be expected. The empirical chapter was a study of the childhood experiences of young adults (18-30 years old) who had grown up with a relative who hoarded. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants, and these were analysed using reflective thematic analysis. The systematic review suggested that the following MH conditions could co-occur with HD: disorders specifically associated with stress, bipolar and related disorders, personality disorder, eating disorders, disorders due to substance use or addictive behaviours, schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. The qualitative study produced six themes: (1) Are we normal?: on the transition from the blissfully unknowing child to the wondering teenager; (2) A different type of childhood: on anxiety, fear and stress; (3) My needs: was there ever enough room for me?; (4) Alone with it: on helplessness, feeling alone and the silence of others; (5) Wait, was I ever a child?: on growing up early; (6) Who have I become?. Taken together, these findings enhance the current understanding of HD, providing new insights into how its complexity and vulnerability could manifest at multiple levels.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	03 Feb 2026 08:44
Last Modified:	03 Feb 2026 08:44
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101817
DOI:

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