Trial Outcomes & Findings for Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Behavioral Change in Older Adults With Hoarding Disorder (NCT NCT05237466)

NCT ID: NCT05237466

Last Updated: 2026-07-16

Results Overview

As a behavioral indicator of motivation to engage in sorting/discarding behavior, participants will be asked to report at their weekly treatment sessions the frequency of sorting/discarding items in the previous week. Data were analyzed as percentage of days sorted between sessions (assessed at sessions 2-16). Mixed effects models were used to analyze data such that participants with at least one timepoint were included in the analyses.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

48 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Four months

Results posted on

2026-07-16

Participant Flow

12 participants dropped from the study between enrollment and randomization.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Overall Study
STARTED
18
18
Overall Study
COMPLETED
9
7
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
9
11

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Motivational Interviewing to Enhance Behavioral Change in Older Adults With Hoarding Disorder

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Total
n=36 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
70 Year
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.6 • n=9 Participants
69 Year
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.2 • n=27 Participants
70 Year
STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.9 • n=267 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
11 Participants
n=9 Participants
10 Participants
n=27 Participants
21 Participants
n=267 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants
n=9 Participants
8 Participants
n=27 Participants
15 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=9 Participants
0 Participants
n=27 Participants
0 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
n=9 Participants
0 Participants
n=27 Participants
0 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=9 Participants
0 Participants
n=27 Participants
0 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
2 Participants
n=9 Participants
4 Participants
n=27 Participants
6 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
14 Participants
n=9 Participants
14 Participants
n=27 Participants
28 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
2 Participants
n=9 Participants
0 Participants
n=27 Participants
2 Participants
n=267 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=9 Participants
0 Participants
n=27 Participants
0 Participants
n=267 Participants
Savings Inventory-Revised
44.22 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.21 • n=9 Participants
49.53 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.76 • n=27 Participants
46.80 score on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.71 • n=267 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Four months

As a behavioral indicator of motivation to engage in sorting/discarding behavior, participants will be asked to report at their weekly treatment sessions the frequency of sorting/discarding items in the previous week. Data were analyzed as percentage of days sorted between sessions (assessed at sessions 2-16). Mixed effects models were used to analyze data such that participants with at least one timepoint were included in the analyses.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Frequency of Sorting/Discarding Behavior
38.6 Percent of days sorted between sessions
Standard Deviation 39.2
29.1 Percent of days sorted between sessions
Standard Deviation 19.3

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Four months

The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire (URICA) is a 32-item Likert scale that assesses readiness for change. Scores for readiness for change are calculated by subtracting pre contemplation items from the other summed items. Scores range from -2 to 14, with higher scores indicating greater readiness for change.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Questionnaire
10 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.3
10 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 1.5

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Four months

The Apathy Evaluation Scale is an 18-item measure of an individual's deficits in goal-directed thoughts and behavior. Scores range from 18-72, with higher scores reflecting more apathy.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Apathy Evaluation Scale
58 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 7.8
63 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 5.8

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Immediately after session 1

Population: Due to clinician error, this data was not collected from all participants.

The Treatment Acceptability/ Adherence Scale is a 10-item self-report measure of a patient's perception of the acceptability of a treatment as well as their anticipated adherence to the protocol. Scores range from 10-70, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability and perceived adherence.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=16 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=14 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Treatment Acceptability/ Adherence Scale
55 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 6.9
55 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 8.2

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Four months

The Saving Inventory-Revised is a 23-item measure of the three core hoarding symptoms (urges to save, difficulty discarding, and excessive clutter). Scores range from 0 to 92, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Saving Inventory-Revised
33 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.0
36 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.6

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Four months

The Clutter Image Rating is a three-item pictorial rating scale of clutter level in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room. Assessor ratings of the CIR will be used for the proposed project. Scores of the three rooms are averaged to create a composite score ranging from 1-9, with higher scores indicating greater clutter levels.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Clutter Image Rating
2.9 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 3.2
2.2 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 2.2

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: Four months

The Behavioral Approach Task for sorting/discarding involves the participant sorting items in a cluttered part of their home for 15 minutes. The speed of sorting (# of items sorted) will be used as a behavioral indicator of hoarding severity. The lower limit is 0 items sorted; there is no upper limit of number of items to be sorted.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive a combination of motivational interviewing and sorting practice to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Sorting Practice
n=18 Participants
Participants will receive sorting practice only to reduce hoarding symptoms.
Behavioral Approach Task for Sorting/Discarding
63 number of items
Standard Deviation 40.3
59.2 number of items
Standard Deviation 25.9

Adverse Events

RECLAIM: Reducing Clutter and Increasing Meaning

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Sorting Practice

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Mary E. Dozier

Mississippi State University

Phone: 6623250523

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place