Understanding and Treating Hoarding Disorder Course

This introductory training course in Sydney is open to anyone who wants to understand hoarding disorder and learn how this disorder can be treated. It is also recommended for healthcare practitioners who provide service to patients with symptoms of compulsive hoarding.

About Hoarding Disorder

Compulsive hoarding is a highly disabling and complex disorder, with prevalence estimated 2-5%. Although the onset of compulsive hoarding often begins in childhood, hoarding most commonly presents in later life. Costs associated with compulsive hoarding highlight significant psychological and public health and safety problems, including impairment in psychosocial and occupational functioning, high levels of social service involvement, poor physical health, and many preventable residential fire fatalities.

Effective psychological treatments are available for hoarding disorder. However, recent research indicates that hoarding disorder remains under-recognised in primary care and the majority of sufferers do not receive adequate treatment.

Course Outcomes

On completion of the course, participants should be able to:

• Discuss the symptoms, prevalence, and burden of hoarding disorder
• Develop in vivo exposure hierarchies for acquisition-prevention and discarding
• Identify and challenge cognitive distortions common to hoarding disorder
• Design a behavioural experiment to test an anxious cognition related to hoarding
• Assist patients in improving decision-making and organisation skills
• Identify appropriate medications to complement cognitive-behavioural treatments for hoarding disorder

Course Content

This course will cover the following topics:

• What is hoarding disorder?
• Hoarding versus Collecting
• DSM-V diagnostic criteria of hoarding disorder
• Differential diagnosis
• Etiology of hoarding
• Genetic factors
• Impulse control problems
• Emotional dysregulation
• Maladaptive emotional attachment
• Executive dysfunctions
• Pharmacological treatment for hoarding disorder
• Cognitive-behavioural therapy for hoarding disorder

Course Delivery

Upon enrolment, you will be given access to a pre-course reading that gives you an overview of hoarding disorder. During the full-day training, a wide range of teaching methods will be used, including didactic presentations, interactive small group activities, case studies, and role-play. A reinforcing activity sheet with answer keys will be provided for you to complete at your own time after the course.