Hoarding Assessment Questionnaire
Assesses hoarding symptoms in a comprehensive way.
In one minute
How it works in 3 steps
- You respond: You mark items about difficulty discarding, acquisition and clutter.
- The dimensions separate: Discarding, acquisition and the impact on living space are read separately.
- It is interpreted: The result is considered in the context of functioning and safety.
Who it informs
When professional support helps
What does the HCI measure?
The scale addresses three aspects of hoarding together: the distress experienced when discarding possessions, the tendency towards excessive acquisition, and living spaces becoming unusable. This whole-picture view makes visible how much the behaviour restricts your life.
High results can point to a picture in which the functionality and safety of the living space also need to be assessed.
How is it scored?
Items are marked and summed. The total score falls into low, moderate and clinical-level hoarding symptom ranges.
- Items
- 46
- Score range
- 0–184
- Administration
- Self / observer report
What do the score bands mean?
The ranges below are a general frame. No band makes a diagnosis on its own; a result only becomes meaningful when a clinical psychologist interprets it alongside your life story.
| Score | General interpretation |
|---|---|
| 0–60 | Low hoarding |
| 61–120 | Moderate hoarding |
| 121–184 | Clinical hoarding |
Limitation: It relies on self-report, and where insight is limited symptoms may be under-reported. A scale never makes a diagnosis on its own; where possible it is supported by observation from someone close.
Psychometrics and source
Original source: Frost, R.O. & Hartl, T.L. (1996). Compulsive hoarding.
How is this scale used at Mete Psikoloji?
At Mete Psikoloji, when working with hoarding, this scale is used to understand the scope of the behaviour and to build a step-by-step plan of work, with results kept in your client portal for online and in-person sessions alike.
Related reading
Did your result give you pause?
A scale is only a starting point. By planning an assessment session with our clinical psychologists, you can consider your result alongside the context of your life.