Fear of intimacy and hoarding symptoms: The mediating role of object attachment

Hoarding Disorder (HD) is characterized by extreme attachment to one's possessions. Despite a number of studies showing that this attachment may partially be driven by interpersonal dysfunction, few have identified specific factors underlying these interpersonal issues and object attachment (OA) within HD. To address this, we investigated Fear of Intimacy (FOI) which has not been researched in its relation to HD. We predicted that FOI would positively correlate with OA and hoarding symptoms, and FOI would have a significant indirect effect on hoarding symptoms via OA. Participants (N = 116) with elevated scores on the Saving Inventory–Revised were recruited to complete a battery of measures. Controlling for depression, anxiety, and stress FOI and OA were positively correlated with hoarding symptoms and each other, with mixed results depending on the hoarding measure used. The indirect effect of FOI on hoarding symptoms through OA was significant. This is the first study to establish FOI as a related factor of HD and show that this relationship might be partially accounted for by OA. These findings provide initial support for a theoretical understanding of HD whereby FOI may predict or maintain the disorder partly due to its relationship with OA. •Fear of intimacy was significantly associated with hoarding and object attachment.•Partial mediation results comport with theoretical models of hoarding.•Further supports the role of interpersonal difficulties in hoarding symptoms.