Virtual reality therapy shows promise in helping people with hoarding disorder let go of possessions and declutter their homes. The corresponding study was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Hoarding disorder is a condition in which people have persistent difficulty in parting with possessions, and thus accumulate ‘clutter’ in their homes that may impair their relationships, work, and safety. Around 2.5% of the US population have the disorder, and it is three times more likely to occur in older adults than younger counterparts.
While interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and Buried in Treasures (BIT) workshops help improve symptoms, many refuse treatment, and most who complete treatment remain symptomatic. Alternative methods to treat the disorder are thus crucial.
For the current study, researchers recruited nine participants aged 55 years and older who had been diagnosed with hoarding disorder. Each participant was instructed to take photos and videos of the most cluttered room in their home alongside 30 possessions. The researchers then used these photos to build custom 3D virtual environments. Wearing VR headsets and using handheld controllers, participants could then navigate around their rooms and manipulate their possessions.
The intervention included 16 weeks of online facilitated group therapy providing peer support and cognitive behavioral skills linked to hoarding. During weeks 7-14, participants also underwent individual clinician-guided VR sessions to better understand their attachment to objects and practice recycling, donating, or throwing them away. Participants were then asked to discard the same items in their homes.
Ultimately, the researchers found that seven of the nine participants reported an average decrease in hoarding symptoms of 25%. They further noted that homes were an average of 15% less cluttered among eight of nine participants.
As the results are similar to those from group therapy alone, the researchers noted that it remains to be seen whether VR therapy truly adds value. Nevertheless, they noted that the small initial trial shows that VR therapy is feasible and well-tolerated for hoarding disorder- even among older patients- and that the findings merit further clinical investigation.
Sources: EurekAlert, Journal of Psychiatric Research