EpistemisCompulsive accumulation
Specialty: Psychiatry.
Why it occurs
- Hoarding disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Frontotemporal dementia (behavioral variant) or Alzheimer's
- Chronic schizophrenia (residual phase with abandonment of self-care)
- Senile major depression
Initial workup
Structured psychopathological evaluation; accumulation scale (Savings Inventory-Revised - SI-R); household disorder assessment scale using images (Clutter Hoarding Scale); mini cognitive examination (MMSE) to rule out dementia processes in older adults.
red flags
Extreme unsanitary conditions in the home that pose a risk of fire, insect/rodent infestations, collapse of physical structures due to the weight of accumulated objects, or risk of social exclusion and judicial eviction of the patient.
Standard management
- Sertraline or Fluvoxamine — SSRI at high doses if it is part of an OCD or primary hoarding disorder; the response is usually partial and requires intensive cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Risperidone or Aripiprazole (if associated with psychotic symptoms or dementia with agitation).
Educational guidance for study. It is NOT a prescription recommendation. The actual choice depends on the cause, the patient, and current guidelines.
- Area
- Psychiatry
- Listed causes
- 5
- Treatment options
- 2