Imaginal Exposure for Hoarding Disorder

NCT03734705 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 48109
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The present study will test a potential new treatment strategy, imaginal exposure, for hoarding disorder. Although cognitive behavioral therapy often reduces hoarding, some people do not want to start, or cannot handle, that option. To help such individuals, the present study will provide imaginal exposure therapy to people with hoarding disorder, wherein they imagine discarding possessions as a way of becoming acclimated to the idea. We predict that imaginal exposure will improve hoarding symptoms as well as two psychological experiences linked to the condition: intolerance of uncertainty and emotional avoidance.

Conditions

Hoarding Disorder

Keywords

hoarding disorder; intolerance of uncertainty; experiential avoidance; imaginal exposure; clutter; attachment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Savings Inventory Revised (Frost, Steketee & Grisham, 2004; Tolin, Meunier, Frost & Steketee, 2011)

  Gold-standard 23-item self-report measure of hoarding disorder symptoms. Scale scores range from 0 to 92, with higher scores indicating more severe hoarding symptoms. More severe hoarding symptoms are considered a worse outcome.

  Baseline (Pre Writing) and Follow Up (week 1)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Compulsive Acquisitions Scale (Frost et al. 2002)

  Baseline (Pre Writing) and Follow Up (week 1)

• Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (Buhr & Dugas, 2002)

  Baseline (Pre Writing) and Follow Up (week 1)

• Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - II (Hayes, Luoma, Bond, Masuda and Lillis, 2006)

  Baseline (Pre Writing) and Follow Up (week 1)

Study Arms (2)

Imaginal Exposure Writing

EXPERIMENTAL

People with hoarding disorder will write for 20 minutes on each of 3 consecutive days about their worst-case scenario regarding discarding a possession (i.e., imaginal exposure).

Behavioral: Imaginal Exposure Writing

Neutral Writing

SHAM COMPARATOR

People with hoarding disorder will write for 20 minutes on each of 3 consecutive days about what they would do if they had a day off work or school.

Other: Neutral Writing

Interventions

Imaginal Exposure Writing BEHAVIORAL

Imaginal exposure is a psychotherapy strategy that has been studied and shown to be helpful in the improvement of symptoms (e.g., anxiety, worry) for other psychiatric conditions, including excessive worry and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms.

Imaginal Exposure Writing

Neutral Writing OTHER

Used in prior research as a control condition for imaginal exposure. Neutral writing will involve writing about what one would do on a day off work or school.

Neutral Writing

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 and older
• Any gender and all ethno-racial categories
• Hoarding Disorder primary condition
• Willing and able to understand and complete consent and study procedures
• English speaking

You may not qualify if:

• Severe depression
• Clinically at risk of suicide with Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Suicidal Ideation Subscale of 4 or higher (i.e. suicidal intent without specific plan)
• Currently receiving Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University: lead
• Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Stanford University

Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Fracalanza K, Raila H, Avanesyan T, Rodriguez CI. Written Imaginal Exposure for Hoarding Disorder: A Preliminary Pilot Study. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2024 May 1;212(5):289-294. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001719.

  PMID: 38598729 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hoarding Disorder; Speech Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Mental Disorders; Language Disorders; Communication Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Katie Fracalanza, PhD
• Organization: Stanford University

kfracalanza@stanford.edu

408-769-0589

Study Officials

• Katie Fracalanza, PhD

  Stanford University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will be randomly assigned to imaginal exposure writing intervention or neutral control writing.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 5, 2018
• First Posted: November 8, 2018
• Study Start: January 13, 2020
• Primary Completion: January 27, 2021
• Study Completion: January 27, 2021
• Last Updated: May 29, 2025
• Results First Posted: May 29, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations

US (1)