Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong PY(1), Leung C(1), Tsang CL(1), Wan YYT(1), Leung JSM(1), Cheung CP(1), Li YS(1), Sezto NW(1), Hui N(1), Wong HH(2)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, United Christian Hospital
(2)Department of Psychiatry, United Christian Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Occupational therapy
Keyword 2: :
Hoarding behaviour
Keyword 3: :
Household management
Keyword 4: :
Mental illness
Keyword 5: :
Decluttering
Keyword 6: :
Client-centred
Introduction :
Hoarding is characterized by persistent difficulty in discarding possessions. Individuals with psychiatric conditions often struggle to maintain organized living environments due to avolition and impaired executive functioning. In a study conducted in Hong Kong (Chiu et al., 2003), 80% of the recruited hoarders were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, indicating a strong correlation between hoarding and mental health issues. Living in cluttered homes can increase stress and hinder daily functioning. Occupational therapy emphasizes enhancing occupational functioning and participation, with household management training is a vital IADL program component. In response to the growing interest in decluttering or ‘DanShaRi,’ we developed a new Decluttering Training Program, transforming traditional training into a 12-session, standardized package designed to optimize treatment effectiveness in occupational therapy.
Objectives :
The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the new decluttering program in the Psychiatric Day Hospital (PDH).
Methodology :
Thirty participants completed the program at United Christian Hospital and Yung Fung Shee PDH in 2025. The majority of primary diagnoses included severe mental illness (n=22). The program comprised: 1) introducing decluttering concepts; 2) skills training by a professional organizer; 3) habit-building through assignments; and 4) utilizing community resources via outings.
Household management functioning and mental well-being were assessed using the Chinese version of the Hoarding Rating Scale (CHRS) and the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) respectively. Data were collected before and after the program and analyzed using paired t-tests. A survey gathered feedback about participants' knowledge and motivation in organizing their homes.
Result & Outcome :
Before the program, the mean score for subscales in CHRS ranged from 2.3 to 2.83, indicating that participants faced difficulties using home environments and participating occupations due to hoarding. After the program, significant differences were observed in both CHRS (p < 0.05) and WHO-5 (p < 0.05). The survey indicated that over 75% of respondents agreed on the program's effectiveness in enhancing knowledge, while more than 85% reported increased engagement in household management.
The encouraging results indicate that the decluttering program effectively enhancing household management functioning and mental well-being. Future research with larger sample size could explore the long-term impacts of the intervention, treatment effectiveness for participants with hoarding disorder, and how the program can promote personal recovery by engaging participants as decluttering volunteers.
