Hoarding DisorderNCT07880236
A Test of Acceptance-based Bibliotherapy for Hoarding Disorder
A study testing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy in people with Hoarding Disorder, run by Utah State University at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators are proposing to test an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based bibliotherapy intervention as a self-help approach to hoarding disorder. Participants will be 60 adults meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised, a hoarding severity measure and will be randomly assigned… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hoarding Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- Oct 2026to Sep 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18 or order
- Residing in the United States
- Being interested in testing a self-help book for hoarding
- Meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised
Who cannot join
- Being under the age of 18
- Residing outside the United States
- Not having fluency in English sufficient to understand study materials
- Not being able to understand the study procedures
- Being suspected of being a bot/invalid respondent based on their responses
- Self-reported conditions that would interfere with participating (e.g., a disorder such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia)
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States2 sites
Utah State University
Logan, Utah, 84321
Michael P Twohig, PhD, 435-265-8933, michael.twohig@usu.edu
Juliana E Avery, BA, 205-572-1899, Juliana.avery@usu.edu
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York, 13214
Jennifer Krafft, PhD, 315-445-4137, krafftj@lemoyne.edu
Jennifer Krafft, PhD
About this study
The investigators are proposing to test an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based bibliotherapy intervention as a self-help approach to hoarding disorder. Participants will be 60 adults meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised, a hoarding severity measure and will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention or to a waitlist control condition.
Read the detailed description
Hoarding disorder affects approximately 2.5% of the population and is associated with significant impairment across multiple domains. Many barriers to accessing hoarding treatment exist, including lack of treatment availability and stigma. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results in addressing hoarding disorder via psychotherapy and a guided self-help website. This study aims to build on this research by testing a novel implementation of a bibliotherapy using a recent ACT self-help book, combined with weekly reflections designed to enhance experiential learning. We will compare the intervention to a waitlist control group in a sample of 60 individuals meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised, a hoarding severity measure. Outcomes will include hoarding symptoms, impairment, distress, stigma, life satisfaction, willingness to try therapy for hoarding in the future, psychological inflexibility, psychological flexibility, and acceptability of ACT bibliotherapy for hoarding. Measures will be taken at baseline, post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), and follow up (4 weeks post treatment). If ACT bibliotherapy for hoarding is efficacious, this study will contribute to support for the usefulness of ACT in this area and provide an additional pathway for accessible self-help for hoarding.
- Conditions
- Hoarding Disorder
- Being tested
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy
- Medical subject headings
- Hoarding Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy BibliotherapyBehavioural
Participants will complete the 10 chapter self-help bibliotherapy intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The ACT self-help book includes content on: psychoeducation, values clarification, building patterns of committed action, mindfulness, developing a flexible sense of self, emotional acceptance and exposure to discarding/nonacquiring, organizing and decluttering effectively, distancing from thoughts, improving relationships, and maintaining consistency over time.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ACT-based Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Participants will complete the 10 chapter self-help bibliotherapy intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Receives: Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | Waitlist condition; assessment only. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Saving Inventory-Revised (Frost et al., 2004)
A self-report measure of hoarding symptom severity
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Secondary outcomes (9)
Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Hoarding (Krafft et al., 2019)
A self-report measure of hoarding-related psychological inflexibility
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Clutter Image Rating (Frost et al., 2008)
A self-report measure of hoarding symptom severity
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Sheehan Disability Scale (Sheehan et al., 1996) adapted for hoarding
A self-report measure of functional impairment due to symptoms. Higher scores indicate greater impairment. Scores range from 0 to 30.
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, 21-item version (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)
A 21 item self-report measure of distress comprised of three 7-item subscales: (1) depression, (2) anxiety, and (3) stress.
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985)
A self-report measure of global life satisfaction
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Hoarding stigma items (Chasson et al., 2018)
Seven self-report items assessing stigma towards individuals with hoarding disorder
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory, 24-item short form (Gregoire et al., 2020)
A measure of psychological flexibility and inflexibility comprised of items measuring 6 factors of psychological flexibility: acceptance, present moment awareness, self as context, defusion, values, and committed action; and the 6 factors factors of psychological inflexibility: experiential avoidance, lack of contact with present moment, self as content, fusion, lack of contact with values, and inaction.
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
General Help Seeking Questionnaire (Wilson et al., 2005) adapted for hoarding
A self-report measure of help-seeking intentions adapted to measure help-seeking behaviors for difficulties with clutter, hoarding, or saving belongings.
Measured: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form (TEI-SF; Kelley, Heffer, Gresham, & Elliott, 1989)
A self-report measure of treatment acceptability. Only administered to treatment condition
Measured: Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Oct 2026
- Study startOct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completionSep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionSep 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- 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
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to either the self-help bibliotherapy condition or the waitlist control condition.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Le Moyne College
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Michael P Twohig, PhD, Principal investigator, Utah State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07880236
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 16083
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 19 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Test of Acceptance-based Bibliotherapy for Hoarding Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07880236
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 16083
- Conditions
- Hoarding Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Le Moyne College
- Study start
- Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Sep 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators are proposing to test an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based bibliotherapy intervention as a self-help approach to hoarding disorder. Participants will be 60 adults meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised, a hoarding severity measure and will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention or to a waitlist control condition.
Detailed description
Hoarding disorder affects approximately 2.5% of the population and is associated with significant impairment across multiple domains. Many barriers to accessing hoarding treatment exist, including lack of treatment availability and stigma. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results in addressing hoarding disorder via psychotherapy and a guided self-help website. This study aims to build on this research by testing a novel implementation of a bibliotherapy using a recent ACT self-help book, combined with weekly reflections designed to enhance experiential learning. We will compare the intervention to a waitlist control group in a sample of 60 individuals meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised, a hoarding severity measure. Outcomes will include hoarding symptoms, impairment, distress, stigma, life satisfaction, willingness to try therapy for hoarding in the future, psychological inflexibility, psychological flexibility, and acceptability of ACT bibliotherapy for hoarding. Measures will be taken at baseline, post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), and follow up (4 weeks post treatment). If ACT bibliotherapy for hoarding is efficacious, this study will contribute to support for the usefulness of ACT in this area and provide an additional pathway for accessible self-help for hoarding.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to either the self-help bibliotherapy condition or the waitlist control condition.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ACT-based Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy BibliotherapyParticipants will complete the 10 chapter self-help bibliotherapy intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | –Waitlist condition; assessment only. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Aged 18 or order
- Residing in the United States
- Being interested in testing a self-help book for hoarding
- Meeting the clinical cutoff score for the Saving Inventory-Revised
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Being under the age of 18
- Residing outside the United States
- Not having fluency in English sufficient to understand study materials
- Not being able to understand the study procedures
- Being suspected of being a bot/invalid respondent based on their responses
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance and Commitment Therapy BibliotherapyParticipants will complete the 10 chapter self-help bibliotherapy intervention based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The ACT self-help book includes content on: psychoeducation, values clarification, building patterns of committed action, mindfulness, developing a flexible sense of self, emotional acceptance and exposure to discarding/nonacquiring, organizing and decluttering effectively, distancing from thoughts, improving relationships, and maintaining consistency over time. | Behavioural | ACT-based Bibliotherapy |
Primary outcome
Saving Inventory-Revised (Frost et al., 2004)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
A self-report measure of hoarding symptom severity
9 secondary outcomes
Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Hoarding (Krafft et al., 2019)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Clutter Image Rating (Frost et al., 2008)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Sheehan Disability Scale (Sheehan et al., 1996) adapted for hoarding
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, 21-item version (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Hoarding stigma items (Chasson et al., 2018)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory, 24-item short form (Gregoire et al., 2020)
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
General Help Seeking Questionnaire (Wilson et al., 2005) adapted for hoarding
Time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)
Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form (TEI-SF; Kelley, Heffer, Gresham, & Elliott, 1989)
Time frame: Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Hoarding Disorder
Active, not recruiting
Self-Help Group for the Treatment of Hoarding Disorder
Hoarding Disorder
Active, not recruitingObservational study
Neural Mechanisms of Decision Making in Hoarding Disorder
Hoarding Disorder
Recruiting
Rapid Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Hoarding Disorder
Hoarding Disorder, Hoarding
Recruiting
Detection of Hoarding Disorder and Related Psychopathology
Hoarding Disorder, Hoarding
Active, not recruiting
In-home Decluttering Augmentation of Group CBT for HD
Hoarding Disorder
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.
Michael P Twohig, PhD principal investigator
Utah State University
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bibliotherapy in people with Hoarding Disorder, run by Utah State University at 2 sites 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 4 inclusion and 6 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Juliana E Avery, BA (2055721899, Juliana.avery@usu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Saving Inventory-Revised (Frost et al., 2004) (time frame: Baseline, Post-treatment (11 weeks after baseline), 1-month Follow-up (15 weeks after baseline)). 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 19 Oct 2026.