A solution for hoarding? New study reveals how virtual reality could help people declutter

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Decluttering one’s space may be an easy to-do list item for some, but for those with hoarding disorder, the act of purging old items and keeping a clean space can be a significant challenge.

With a goal of helping those with a hoarding diagnosis declutter their homes, a new Stanford Medicine pilot study used virtual reality (VR) headsets to help them part more easily with their items.

Hoarding disorder is defined as an ongoing challenge of getting rid of possessions and often leads to emotional distress at the thought of parting with them.

There are no confirmed statistics on the prevalence of hoarding in Canada, but it is estimated that between 2 and 6 per cent of Canadians experience the disorder, according to the Durham Region Hoarding Coalition.

And it’s possible that the condition often goes unreported as the stigma around it leads to a lack of recognition or treatment.

“Unfortunately, stigma and shame prevent people from seeking help for hoarding disorder,” Carolyn Rodriguez, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences and senior author of the study, said in a press release Monday. “They may also be unwilling to have anyone else enter the home to help.”

According to Anxiety Canada, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about related mental health conditions and resources, hoarding disorder is more common amongst older people, typically above age 60, and is associated with three key features.

Those distinguishing features are an ongoing and significant challenge of getting rid of possessions, having a home which is extremely cluttered and messy and experiencing significant impairment such as emotional distress or impaired physical health in social or work settings, Anxiety Canada says.

HOW VIRTUAL REALITY CAN HELP

The research team at Stanford University had nine participants who had been diagnosed with hoarding disorder take photos and videos of the messiest room in their home, as well as of 30 of their possessions.

These visuals were transformed in custom 3D environments, which the participants navigated through using VR headsets and handheld controllers to manipulate their possessions.

The participants, who were all over the age of 55, also participated in four months of online group therapy, during which they received peer support and cognitive behavioural skills training related to hoarding.

They also met with a clinician who helped them to better understand their attachment to objects and, using VR, practice placing their items in recycling, donation or trash bins.

To apply their learnings to the real world, the participants were told to go home and discard the actual items as well.

THE RESULTS

Overall, the participants showed improvements following the treatment, researchers said.

Seven of nine participants self-reported that their symptoms decreased by 25 per cent on average. And when clinicians assessed their homes, they found that eight participants had less clutter.

The VR simulation was reportedly helpful for most of the participants, though some said they found it to be unrealistic, according to those behind the study.

The researchers hope that using newer technology such as augmented reality, which could overlay virtual objects in the patients' real homes, could improve the virtual therapy. They also said that while there are a lot of biases against hoarding disorders, they hope those with the condition don’t feel isolated.

“People tend to have a lot of biases against hoarding disorder and see it as a personal limitation instead of a neurobiological entity,” Rodriguez said. “We just really want to get the word out that there’s hope and treatment for people who suffer from this. They don’t have to go it alone.”