Homelessness and hoarding with Dr Jan Eppingstall of Stuffology

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In today's episode, Dr Jan Eppingstall and I will be diving into a topic that is rarely discussed - homelessness and hoarding. We will explore the limited research available on the connection between these two issues and the complex factors that contribute to both. We uncover the connections between trauma, loss, and mental health issues that can lead to both homelessness and hoarding behaviours as well as the instincts associated with hoarding and the difficulties in interrupting these instincts.

Homelessness and hoarding: connections and similarities
Lack of hoarding-related academic articles
Homelessness can be caused by hoarding
Lack of support, finger pointing, no understanding
Excessive stuff brings hope for normal future
A sense of safety motivates us to accumulate possessions
The physical barrier between us and the chaotic outside world is important
Excess stuff can be seen as hope for a better future
Society pressures us to make a perfect home
Epigenetics, trauma, and genes influence hoarding behaviour
Poverty pushes some to become hoarders
Humans want to share during crises
Neurodivergence, brain injuries, schizophrenia
Homelessness and hoarding have similarities, including trauma, mental health issues, and fear of scarcity
Possessions may be portable but excessive saving behaviour persists
Homelessness caused by hoarding; trauma leads to hoarding in new home
Need to ask "What do you need?"
The comfort of material possessions
Possible evidence of neurodivergence or organic brain injuries, schizophrenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder
The importance of asking the right questions and providing appropriate support
Approach problems from various angles and keep iterating to find what works
Short-term focus of government hinders this
Homeless individuals trading stuff and the instinct to hoard when they find secure housing
Difficulty in interrupting the primal hoarding instinct
Strategies for interrupting the instinct, such as calculations and sharing with others in need
Need for a holistic approach and joined-up thinking to address hoarding and homelessness effectively
Lack of resources and understanding to support hoarders once they are housed
Treating hoarders with dignity and respect
Importance of appropriate questions and support due to the complexity of hoarding behaviours
Lack of support and assistance in addressing the root causes of homelessness
Sense of control and safety that possessions offer
Importance of addressing the additional traumas faced by homeless individuals
Study finding higher hoarding prevalence (18.5%) among homeless individuals compared to the general population (1.5-5%)
Oversampling technique used to study rare subpopulations
Overlapping risk factors of hoarding and homelessness (trauma, grief, brain injury, neurodivergence)
Sense of safety and need to create a home driving the accumulation of possessions
Scarcity mindset and stockpiling items due to homelessness
Epigenetic processes potentially turning on genes associated with hoarding as a coping mechanism
Poverty and uncertainty about basic necessities contributing to hoarding behaviors
Importance of listening to frontline practitioners and individuals in order to understand their needs

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