Hoarding disorder (HD) has been newly classified as a distinct mental disorder and is a considerable public health concern. Treatment... Show moreHoarding disorder (HD) has been newly classified as a distinct mental disorder and is a considerable public health concern. Treatment ambivalence is a problem in this clinical population, and stigma of HD may be one potential factor contributing to an unwillingness to seek treatment. However, stigma of HD has been understudied, despite the media often perpetuating severe and negative representations of individuals with HD. This study is the first to investigate experimentally the impact of a popular reality television show on attitudes and beliefs about individuals with HD. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which they watched popular television shows with varying degrees of clutter: Hoarders (high clutter depiction), Clean House (medium clutter depiction), and House Hunters (low clutter depiction). Participant attitudes and beliefs were evaluated before and after the episode viewing. Results of the study showed that participants who viewed A&E’s Hoarders desired more social distance from individuals with HD—an index of stigma—after viewing the television show, compared to the other groups. The interaction effects of two additional indices of stigma based on watching Hoarders approached statistical significance. There were also significant effects found for other indices of stigma. The present experimental study contributes to the very small body of research investigating stigma of HD and possible causes of treatment ambivalence in individuals living with HD. Show less
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