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Abstract

Hoarding is defined in terms of four observable aspects: (a) accumulation, (b) collection, (c) lack of disposal, and (d) pathological attachment. Typically, hoarding has an early age at onset and displays a progression of clinical symptoms. Early-stage detection and diagnosis in young and middle-aged adults could allow a therapeutic response to hoarding symptoms in a timely manner and prevent later-life hoarding trauma. We hypothesized that the Hoarding Index for Adults (RIA) would reliably and validly measure two domains: (a) abnormally-intensified patterns of acquisition and (b) reduced patterns of disposal. To test our hypothesis, we created a 10-item online survey and used social networking to gather a convenience sample of adults from age 17 to 70+. We found that the RIA a,as reliable and predicative valid. Future research could refine the RIA to effectively diagnose hoarding symptoms in young and middle-aged adults, specifically.

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