Inference-Based Therapy for Compulsive Hoarding: A Clinical Case Study

Compulsive hoarding (CH) is a chronic and debilitating condition that generally shows poor treatment response to both psychopharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. The present case study describes the application of a cognitive inference-based therapy program to the treatment of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with CH. During a 24-week treatment period, her hoarding behavior and associated beliefs significantly decreased. Specifically, Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores became subclinical at the 6-months follow-up. There was also a clinically significant decrease in Beck Depression Inventory–II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Overvalued Ideas Scale, and Saving Inventory–Revised scores. The single case study has implications for the treatment of CH and other problems showing ego-syntonic beliefs.