Talking Stick - January 2012 - 50

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in Psychiatry [2007] by Ronald C. Kessler, G. Paul Amminger, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Jordi Alonso, Sing Lee, and T. Bedirhan Üstun). According to Grisham, Frost, Steketee, Kim, and Hood, the onset of hoarding behavior may begin during adolescence or young adulthood, and it persists throughout adulthood. Ashamed or unaware of their behavior, hoarders do not discuss their behavior with others, causing the problem to go unaddressed. Often it is not until third parties recognize hoarding behavior and bring it to the attention of mental health professionals that the hoarder can be helped. Hoarding behavior can affect the person’s relationships in ways that may come to the attention of HRL professionals. For example, a roommate dispute may erupt over frustrations with the cleanliness of the room, poor personal hygiene, or the amount of space one occupies in the room. Likewise, neighbors may complain about a student’s excessive clutter in common areas, storage of items outside their room, or their failure to return items borrowed with or without permission. Finally, cleaning staff may notice bugs or foul smells coming from the hoarder’s living space. Many participants in the 2011 ACUHO-I annual conference roundtable discussion “Hoarders in Campus Housing” shared many examples of confronting hoarders, and most of them described situations when they were able to address the behavior as a violation of the housing contract. For example, as a condition for remaining in student housing, the hoarding student was required to sign a behavioral contract outlining cleanliness standards and also had to submit to scheduled room inspections. Throughout the roundtable discussion, it became apparent, however, that it is not enough to address the behavior from
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a contractual perspective, for mental health problems may be inherent in the hoarding behavior. The hoarding behavior of undergraduates may go unnoticed, since they live on campus in relatively short stints, but that of graduate students and professional staff members, who live on campus for several years at a time, can become evident. In terms of working with live-in staff, it may be necessary to consult with the institution’s human resources department before following up with staff members.

living conditions are of concern it is essential to inform the mental health provider. It is important to develop a plan to address hoarding behavior before HRL professionals are faced with the complex situation. Staff should be aware of the fact that people who hoard develop an intense emotional attachment to their belongings, so that they can confront the problem with some measure of empathy. However, an intervention strategy that works with one person may not be effective with another, so developing a plan that enables HRL professionals to collaborate with mental health providers may help the hoarder and reduce frustration for all concerned. ts
Virginia Albaneso is associate director of Koch
University Residence Life at Northwestern University and a Ph.D. candidate at Loyola University Chicago. Email: v-koch@northwestern.edu

strategies to aDDress tHe problem
It is better to develop an intervention strategy before a hoarding situation arises. HRL professionals must raise the awareness of all staff members, including resident assistant staff, housekeeping staff, and professional staff. Campus counseling center staff or local mental health professionals can be invited to provide educational programs that help staff understand the difference between a typical messy room and a room that may be home to a hoarder. Once aware of the common warning signs, housekeepers and resident assistants can be advised to inform their supervisors when they notice unusually cluttered spaces in living areas or other signs of behavior that may be linked to hoarding. When discussing relationship issues or policy violations caused by excessive clutter or unsanitary conditions, staff should look for signs of hoarding behavior, such as an extreme desire to avoid the issue – or what Frost and Steketee describe as “clutter blindness,” an inability to recognize a problem with one’s living conditions. Whenever possible, HRL professionals should see the student’s room for themselves to verify the extent of the problem. Finally, when referring students with social anxiety, depression, or other psychological issues, if the person’s

Talking Stick - January 2012

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