Anxiety sensitivity: a potential vulnerability factor for compulsive hoarding.

Compulsive hoarding is defined as the accumulation of and failure to discard a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or limited in value. Severe hoarding can result in illnesses due to unsanitary conditions, social isolation, work disability, and even death. Despite the severity of impairment associated with this clinical syndrome, research examining potential vulnerability factors is limited. Two independent studies have demonstrated that hoarding behaviors are significantly associated with anxiety sensitivity (AS), a well-known risk factor for anxiety pathology. However, the relationship between AS subfactors and hoarding behaviors is somewhat unclear. The primary aim of this investigation was to examine the relationships between hoarding and AS subfactors utilizing the anxiety sensitivity index-3, a measure designed to more accurately assess AS subfactors. Participants consisted of 279 college students, as well as 210 non-selected clinical participants. Consistent with initial predictions, hoarding behaviors were significantly associated with overall AS. Moreover, when looking at the relationships among hoarding behaviors and specific AS subfactors, hoarding was significantly associated with the physical concerns subscale. Finally, when examining the relationships among overall AS and specific hoarding facets, results indicated that the difficulty discarding subfactor of hoarding was associated with overall AS. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed.