James Donaldson on Mental Health - Hoarding Disorder May Lead to Increased Suicide Risk

Hoarding disorder is often misunderstood and overlooked as common over-collecting.

However, while collectors focus on acquiring specific items, organizing, and displaying them, individuals with the disorder tend to accumulate a wide variety of things in a disorganized manner, without any clear purpose or system.

Hoarding disorder was officially recognized as a stand-alone diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in 2013.

Before this, it was considered a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder, although, due to key differences such as the absence of intrusive, recurring thoughts, it is now classified as a related but distinct disorder.

People with it often have varying levels of awareness about the reality of their condition.

Most struggle to recognize the impact of their hoarding, even though it causes significant distress.

This lack of insight contributes to many individuals not seeking treatment for their symptoms, which can lead to worse outcomes, including increased risk of suicide.

A 2025 study conducted by researchers at Stanford University found that these individuals reported suicidal thoughts and behaviours at higher rates than the general U.S.

population, with 13 percent of them having a history of suicide attempts, compared to around 0.7 percent of the general adult population.

Comorbidity with other mental health conditions is also common, with about 50 percent meeting criteria for major depression .