2132 - WHEN TREATMENT BECOMES A CHALLENGE: PROFESSIONAL REJECTION AND NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF HOARDING DISORDER CLIENTS

Session: D06S036 - Service Innovation & Implementation 2
AUTHORS:
Gamali Sabrina (Sigmund Freud University, Faculty of Psychology ~ Vienna ~ Austria) , Kovacovsky Zuzana (Sigmund Freud University, Faculty of Psychology ~ Vienna ~ Austria) , Stetina Birgit Ursula (Sigmund Freud University, Faculty of Psychology ~ Vienna ~ Austria)
Abstract text:
Introduction/Purpose: Why do some professionals struggle more with hoarding disorder (HD) clients than with others? Until the 1990s, pathological hoarding was a largely unexplored disorder [2]. With the introduction of the ICD-11 diagnosis of HD [6], hoarding symptoms have received increased attention, and more professionals are encountering this disorder. Poor insight and strong societal taboos make working with HD clients more challenging. Professionals working with HD clients tend to be more frustrated, and experience greater patient rejection compared to those working with non-hoarding clients [5]. This study is the first in Austria to systematically explore professionals' attitudes toward HD clients.
Method: A mixed-methods design was used. In the first step, 10 professionals (e.g., clinical psychologists) were asked to list adjectives [3] that they associate with their HD clients. Opposing terms were then discussed in a group in order to construct a semantic differential (SD). Subsequently, 15 professionals completed a questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward clients. The quantitative analyses included sociodemographic data, the SD (for HD and non-HD clients), the Hoarding Rating Scale (HRS [4]), the Patient Rejection Scale (PRS [1]), and an insight assessment.
Results: Preliminary results indicate significantly greater patient rejection toward HD clients (Mdn=19) than toward non-hoarding clients (Mdn=15) (Z=-3.31, p<.001, r=.86). The SD between HD and non-HD clients also differed: HD clients were perceived as more timid (Z=-3.19, p<.001, r=.82), oversensitive (Z=-2.26, p=.024, r=.58), critical (Z=-2.28, p=.022, r=.59), indecisive (Z=-2.42, p=.015, r=.58), impulsive (Z=-3.19, p=.001, r=.82), disagreeable (Z=-3.19, p=.012, r=.82), persistent (Z=-2.53, p=.012, r=.65), and lonesome (Z=-2.26, p=.024, r=.58).
Conclusions: The increased patient rejection and more negative connotations highlight the challenges of working with HD clients. These findings underscore the importance of addressing stigma to ensure equitable and effective treatment for individuals with hoarding disorder.