Emotion dysregulation and hoarding symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Much of the research on hoarding is focused on cognition and behavior, with less focus on emotion and its regulation.

Method: A comprehensive search yielded nine studies (out of 5581) from which to draw data for the current study. Across the eight studies (nine independent effect sizes) which provided data for 1595 total participants (Mean_age = 34.46, SD = 8.78; 64.26% females).

Results: Emotion dysregulation had a medium association with hoarding symptoms (r = 0.43). The effect was strong (r = 0.61) in some populations and weaker (r = 0.19) in others. However, it was higher in nonclinical samples than in clinical samples. Also, the strength of the association between hoarding and emotion regulation differed by the type of hoarding measures adopted in the individual studies. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences between emotion dysregulation facets and hoarding.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of studying emotions and emotion regulation in hoarding.