Hoarding in children & teens

Children who collect usually focus on one type of object, like baseball cards. They tend to enjoy sorting and showing their collection.

Signs of healthy collecting

• It fits the space they have
• They can let go of other things, like old schoolwork
• They enjoy sharing or swapping it
• Talking about it feels easy and fun

Many children and teens have messy rooms and keep things for sentimental reasons. That is not hoarding. Young people often don’t control their space, so clutter can look smaller than the feelings behind it.

Signs can include keeping things others wouldn’t see as useful, strong attachment to possessions, great difficulty throwing things away, cluttered spaces, and worry about belongings that affects home or school.

Items are often tucked into closets or under the bed. Children may feel shame when others see them.

Young children may get very upset when anything is thrown away, even broken toys or wrappers. They may hide items or not want anyone to touch their things.

As children gain more freedom, a bedroom may slowly fill with papers, supplies and things picked up outside. Clean-ups often lead to conflict with parents.

In one large study, the typical age when hoarding first began was 11 to 15.

Among 15-year-olds with hoarding difficulties, 30% to 40% also acquired too much, such as buying or collecting free things.

When the rule that clutter must fill living spaces was set aside, because teens don’t control their homes, the rate rose from 2% to 3.7%.

About half of children with hoarding difficulties have a relative who also hoards. Twin studies show that genes play a part from the teen years on.

At age 15, genes seemed to matter more for boys. For girls, the shared family environment also played a part.

Anxiety, stress and trauma can increase the risk of hoarding in children. Keeping things can feel like a way to feel safe or in control.

Children with hoarding difficulties become emotionally attached to their things and get very upset when asked to let them go.

In a study of 641 young people with OCD, 25% had hoarding symptoms. They tended to have OCD start earlier, more trouble deciding and finishing tasks, and more difficulties overall.

In a study of 99 young people with ADHD, inattention and hyperactivity were the main things that set apart those with hoarding difficulties. They predicted hoarding better than OCD symptoms did.

In a study of 40 autistic children with anxiety, about a quarter had hoarding that caused real problems. More hoarding went with more worry, low mood and attention difficulties.

Hoarding went down after CBT for anxiety in that study.

Children and teens with hoarding difficulties often also live with OCD, other anxiety, or depression.

Children with hoarding difficulties get very upset when asked to throw things away, and parents’ clean-up attempts often lead to conflict.

Secret clear-outs can break trust and leave a child feeling unsafe. Like adults, children may then hide items or hold on even more tightly.

Lost shared space is a common source of family arguments when someone hoards. Clear, fair limits on shared areas help everyone feel respected.

Because hoarding often runs in families, a child who hoards may live with a parent who hoards. Growing up around clutter can affect how children feel about home.

Agreeing on a space, like one shelf or one box, lets the child choose what goes in it. That keeps them in charge of their choices while keeping clutter in bounds.

For younger children, therapists often help parents use rewards to slowly encourage letting go of items and to stop new collecting.

Family members often feel frustrated, worried or helpless. Support for you matters as much as support for your child.

Worry about possessions can get in the way of life at school. Young people with hoarding and OCD often also have more trouble deciding and finishing tasks.

Children may feel shame when others see their things, and may stop inviting friends home.

In young people with OCD, those with hoarding had more difficulties with social communication and motivation.

In autistic young people, more hoarding was linked with more anxiety, low mood, behavior problems and attention difficulties.

In children with ADHD, hoarding helped explain the link between ADHD and arguing or defiance.

For younger children, therapists often work with parents to set up a behavior plan. The aim is to stop new collecting first, then use rewards to slowly let go of items.

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps young people understand why they feel the need to keep things. It also teaches them how to decide what to keep and what to let go.

In a study of autistic children with anxiety, hoarding decreased after CBT.

Because hoarding often comes with other conditions, a good assessment looks at the whole child. Treatment may focus on more than one thing.

The IOCDF Resource Directory at hoarding.iocdf.org lets you search by location and narrow results by the age group a provider works with.

The IOCDF also lists over 200 support groups, including groups for families and caregivers.

In the UK, the NHS suggests seeing a GP, who can refer to a mental health specialist. Elsewhere, start with your family doctor.

If you need to talk to someone now, findahelpline.com lists free, confidential helplines in many countries.