Hoarding DisorderNCT05237466
Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Behavioral Change in Older Adults With Hoarding Disorder
A study testing RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning and Sorting Practice in people with Hoarding Disorder, run by Mississippi State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will compare two behavioral interventions for hoarding disorder in older adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hoarding Disorder
- What is being tested?
- RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning and Sorting Practice
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 48 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2022to 10 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 60+
- Live within a 60-minute driving radius of Starkville, MS
- Have a primary psychiatric diagnosis of hoarding disorder
Who cannot join
- Major cognitive impairment
- Active psychosis, drug use, or acute suicidal ideation
- Concurrent psychotherapy focused on hoarding
- Changed psychotropic medications within the past three months
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Mississippi State University
Starkville, Mississippi, 39762
About this study
This study will compare two behavioral interventions for hoarding disorder in older adults.
Read the detailed description
Hoarding disorder is a psychological condition with a unique constellation of consequences for older adults, including increased risk of fire and dying in a fire, insect infestation, and medical problems. Dangers related to cluttered living spaces are exacerbated by reduced executive functioning, attention, and concentration. Hoarding psychopathology results from maladaptive cognitions (e.g., desire to keep items others would discard) and maladaptive behavioral patterns (e.g., avoidance of sorting/discarding items).
Extant treatments for hoarding have targeted fear reduction as the mechanism of change, either through cognitive-behavioral therapy focusing on cognitive restructuring or behavior therapy focusing on exposure therapy. Older adults have a lackluster response to cognitive restructuring for hoarding, and, although exposure therapy increases treatment response, both approaches require a lengthy six-month dose. Our preliminary work suggests that fear reduction may not be a universally relevant target mechanism for older adults, and that to be responsive to the specific needs of older adults, other mechanisms need to be identified.
Motivational interviewing is a technique that is already typically incorporated into hoarding treatment and has been demonstrated to increase motivation for behavioral change across a range of health conditions for older adults, including physical activity, diet, and disease management. Because sorting/discarding is at its core a health behavior that hoarding patients lack the motivation to engage in, motivational interviewing is likely to decrease hoarding severity by eliciting increased levels of sorting/discarding.
The proposed project will use a mechanistic clinical trials approach to determine if a four-month intervention combining motivational interviewing with sorting practice can engage the proposed target, motivation for behavioral change, when compared to a four-month dose of sorting practice alone in a sample of rural-dwelling older adults with hoarding disorder.
- Conditions
- Hoarding Disorder
- Being tested
- RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning, Sorting Practice
- Medical subject headings
- Hoarding Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing MeaningBehavioural
Participants will receive 16 weekly 1-hour treatment sessions in their home delivered by Masters-level clinicians with the assistance of undergraduate researchers. Each treatment session will involve a combination of motivational interviewing (MI) and sorting practice. The rationale behind the sorting practice is to develop the skill of sorting and the formation of a daily sorting routine. The MI portion of the initial session will involve an evaluation of client strengths and individual biopsychosocial goals. The initial and subsequent sessions will include a variety of MI techniques, including decisional balancing, developing discrepancy, personalized feedback, and reinforcement of responsibility of sense of self-efficacy.
Sorting PracticeBehavioural
Participants will receive 16 weekly 1-hour treatment sessions in their home delivered by Masters-level clinicians with the assistance of undergraduate researchers. Clinicians will encourage participants to sort objects during each session while refraining from use of any specific cognitive or motivational therapeutic techniques. Participants will be asked to record the frequency and duration of any sorting/ discarding they did during the previous week.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning | Experimental | Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms. Receives: Behavioral: RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning |
| Sorting Practice | Active comparator | Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms. Receives: Behavioral: Sorting Practice |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Frequency of Sorting/Discarding Behavior
As a behavioral indicator of motivation to engage in sorting/discarding behavior, participants will be asked to report at their weekly treatment sessions the frequency of sorting/discarding items in the previous week. Data were analyzed as percentage of days sorted between sessions (assessed at sessions 2-16). Mixed effects models were used to analyze data such that participants with at least one timepoint were included in the analyses.
Measured: Four months
University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire
The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire (URICA) is a 32-item Likert scale that assesses readiness for change. Scores for readiness for change are calculated by subtracting pre contemplation items from the other summed items. Scores range from -2 to 14, with higher scores indicating greater readiness for change.
Measured: Four months
Apathy Evaluation Scale
The Apathy Evaluation Scale is an 18-item measure of an individual's deficits in goal-directed thoughts and behavior. Scores range from 18-72, with higher scores reflecting more apathy.
Measured: Four months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Treatment Acceptability/ Adherence Scale
The Treatment Acceptability/ Adherence Scale is a 10-item self-report measure of a patient's perception of the acceptability of a treatment as well as their anticipated adherence to the protocol. Scores range from 10-70, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability and perceived adherence.
Measured: Immediately after session 1
Saving Inventory-Revised
The Saving Inventory-Revised is a 23-item measure of the three core hoarding symptoms (urges to save, difficulty discarding, and excessive clutter). Scores range from 0 to 92, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.
Measured: Four months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Feb 2022
- Study start1 Jun 2022
- Primary completion10 Dec 2025
- Study completion10 Dec 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Hoarding DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 48 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mississippi State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mary Dozier, Mississippi State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05237466
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 21-561
- Other IDs
- 1R15MH127565-01A1
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 16 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All data collected will be shared using the NIMH Data Archive (NDA) following safe harbor requirements for de-identification. Data dictionaries currently available in NDA will be used for most measures assessed (e.g., PROMIS measures), but new data dictionaries will be created for unique data elements (e.g., reported frequency of sorting behavior) and standardized measures not currently entered in the NDA (e.g., Clutter Image Rating). Data will be deposited in the NDA twice per year over the course of the study and once the study is complete. Each manuscript based off the study will have specific analytic files deposited to the NDA once the manuscript is accepted for publication.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Behavioral Change in Older Adults With Hoarding Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05237466
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 21-561
- Conditions
- Hoarding Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 48 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mississippi State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Dec 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 16 Jul 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will compare two behavioral interventions for hoarding disorder in older adults.
Detailed description
Hoarding disorder is a psychological condition with a unique constellation of consequences for older adults, including increased risk of fire and dying in a fire, insect infestation, and medical problems. Dangers related to cluttered living spaces are exacerbated by reduced executive functioning, attention, and concentration. Hoarding psychopathology results from maladaptive cognitions (e.g., desire to keep items others would discard) and maladaptive behavioral patterns (e.g., avoidance of sorting/discarding items).
Extant treatments for hoarding have targeted fear reduction as the mechanism of change, either through cognitive-behavioral therapy focusing on cognitive restructuring or behavior therapy focusing on exposure therapy. Older adults have a lackluster response to cognitive restructuring for hoarding, and, although exposure therapy increases treatment response, both approaches require a lengthy six-month dose. Our preliminary work suggests that fear reduction may not be a universally relevant target mechanism for older adults, and that to be responsive to the specific needs of older adults, other mechanisms need to be identified.
Motivational interviewing is a technique that is already typically incorporated into hoarding treatment and has been demonstrated to increase motivation for behavioral change across a range of health conditions for older adults, including physical activity, diet, and disease management. Because sorting/discarding is at its core a health behavior that hoarding patients lack the motivation to engage in, motivational interviewing is likely to decrease hoarding severity by eliciting increased levels of sorting/discarding.
The proposed project will use a mechanistic clinical trials approach to determine if a four-month intervention combining motivational interviewing with sorting practice can engage the proposed target, motivation for behavioral change, when compared to a four-month dose of sorting practice alone in a sample of rural-dwelling older adults with hoarding disorder.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning | Experimental | Behavioral: RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing MeaningParticipants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms. |
| Sorting Practice | Active comparator | Behavioral: Sorting PracticeParticipants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Aged 60+
- Live within a 60-minute driving radius of Starkville, MS
- Have a primary psychiatric diagnosis of hoarding disorder
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Major cognitive impairment
- Active psychosis, drug use, or acute suicidal ideation
- Concurrent psychotherapy focused on hoarding
- Changed psychotropic medications within the past three months
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing MeaningParticipants will receive 16 weekly 1-hour treatment sessions in their home delivered by Masters-level clinicians with the assistance of undergraduate researchers. Each treatment session will involve a combination of motivational interviewing (MI) and sorting practice. The rationale behind the sorting practice is to develop the skill of sorting and the formation of a daily sorting routine. The MI portion of the initial session will involve an evaluation of client strengths and individual biopsychosocial goals. The initial and subsequent sessions will include a variety of MI techniques, including decisional balancing, developing discrepancy, personalized feedback, and reinforcement of responsibility of sense of self-efficacy. | Behavioural | RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning |
| Sorting PracticeParticipants will receive 16 weekly 1-hour treatment sessions in their home delivered by Masters-level clinicians with the assistance of undergraduate researchers. Clinicians will encourage participants to sort objects during each session while refraining from use of any specific cognitive or motivational therapeutic techniques. Participants will be asked to record the frequency and duration of any sorting/ discarding they did during the previous week. | Behavioural | Sorting Practice |
Primary outcome
Frequency of Sorting/Discarding Behavior
Time frame: Four months
As a behavioral indicator of motivation to engage in sorting/discarding behavior, participants will be asked to report at their weekly treatment sessions the frequency of sorting/discarding items in the previous week. Data were analyzed as percentage of days sorted between sessions (assessed at sessions 2-16). Mixed effects models were used to analyze data such that participants with at least one timepoint were included in the analyses.
University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire
Time frame: Four months
The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire (URICA) is a 32-item Likert scale that assesses readiness for change. Scores for readiness for change are calculated by subtracting pre contemplation items from the other summed items. Scores range from -2 to 14, with higher scores indicating greater readiness for change.
Apathy Evaluation Scale
Time frame: Four months
The Apathy Evaluation Scale is an 18-item measure of an individual's deficits in goal-directed thoughts and behavior. Scores range from 18-72, with higher scores reflecting more apathy.
2 secondary outcomes
Treatment Acceptability/ Adherence Scale
Time frame: Immediately after session 1
Saving Inventory-Revised
Time frame: Four months
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jul 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All data collected will be shared using the NIMH Data Archive (NDA) following safe harbor requirements for de-identification. Data dictionaries currently available in NDA will be used for most measures assessed (e.g., PROMIS measures), but new data dictionaries will be created for unique data elements (e.g., reported frequency of sorting behavior) and standardized measures not currently entered in the NDA (e.g., Clutter Image Rating). Data will be deposited in the NDA twice per year over the course of the study and once the study is complete. Each manuscript based off the study will have specific analytic files deposited to the NDA once the manuscript is accepted for publication.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning and Sorting Practice in people with Hoarding Disorder, run by Mississippi State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 16 Jul 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Frequency of Sorting/Discarding Behavior (time frame: Four months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jul 2026.