Interpersonal trauma and hoarding: The mediating role of aggression

Background: A growing body of literature indicates that exposure to interpersonal trauma contributes to the onset or exacerbation of hoarding symptoms. However, little research has explored psychosocial factors that may help to explain the relationship between interpersonal trauma and hoarding symptoms. One outcome of trauma exposure that may be associated with hoarding symptoms is aggression, defined as the tendency to experience and express hostility and anger, and to engage in aggressive behavior. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between hoarding and aggression, as well as the mediating role of aggression in the relationship between exposure to interpersonal trauma and hoarding symptoms.

Methods: Community participants (n = 258) completed a battery of questionnaires assessing trauma exposure, hoarding symptoms, aggression, and negative affect.

Results: Results revealed that when accounting for negative affect, hoarding symptoms were associated with greater aggression, and the relationship between exposure to interpersonal trauma and hoarding symptoms was mediated by aggression. Specificity analyses indicated that depression symptoms and emotion dysregulation did not mediate the relationship between interpersonal trauma exposure and hoarding, providing further support for the importance of aggression.

Limitations: Findings should be interpreted in light of limitations, including the use of cross-sectional and self-report data, and a general community sample.

Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that interpersonal processes, such as aggression toward others, may be associated with increased hoarding symptoms.