Hoarding classed as a medical disorder by WHO
Hoarding has been classed as a medical disorder by the World Health Organisation (WHO), five years after the NHS recognised hoarding as a disorder. Hoarding is described as 'an accumulation of possessions due to excessive acquisition of, or difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their actual value.'
Charities are calling for a change in how people treat and respond to hoarding. Many face eviction and go untreated as GPs aren't trained in dealing with hoarding disorder. It is said to affect up to 5 per cent of the population and is linked to depression, schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Read more about hoarding in NSAB's self-neglect and hoarding strategy.
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