The Science Behind Why Boomers Hoard Things

Spend any time online and you're sure to hear millennial complaints about the hoarding tendencies of their boomer parents. While different generations may see collections of stuff differently, an actual hoarding disorder is something else entirely. Hoarding disorder in older generations carries a variety of negative outcomes, ranging from financial costs to strained family relationships. In some cases, families are spending as much as $5,000 to clean hoarding houses. Now researchers are beginning to understand the science behind why some boomers seem to save everything.

Hoarding disorder was only defined as a psychiatric diagnosis with the release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders in 2013. Before that, hoarding was lumped in with obsessive–compulsive disorder. A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that while hoarding disorder can affect people of all ages, the prevalence of hoarding disorders increases with age, topping out at just over 6% for people over 70. They also found that the severity of hoarding disorder increased with age.

Financial factors, both real and perceived, play a major role in hoarding. One of those factors is a scarcity mindset that many boomers inherited from their parents. Older generations who lived through the Great Depression experienced genuine hardships that made them unwilling to throw away anything that could one day be useful. Their children frequently picked up these views, developing a scarcity mindset despite living in an age of abundance.

For some older Americans this scarcity mindset is reinforced by living on a fixed income. With an average Social Security benefit of around $2,000 per month, seniors may find it wasteful to throw things away. At the same time, boomers who have more financial resources and unique buying habits still want to save money on purchases. However, thriftiness can sometimes turn into a problem if someone is so focused on getting a good deal that they don't ask whether they actually need to buy something. Excessive shopping is one of several unhealthy habits spreading among boomers. This can be further compounded in cases where seniors rely on shopping as a way to meet their social and entertainment needs.

While finances are a major force behind hoarding, health and emotions also play a significant role. The scarcity mindset many older Americans inherited from their parents is as much emotional as it is financial. Another emotional factor is social isolation and loneliness after retirement, which can drive compulsive shopping and even make people more likely to die early. Retirement can also cause people to lose the sense of purpose they had in their career. Some search for accomplishment through collecting items, which can spiral into hoarding over time.

Emotional factors like sentimentality over mementos like children's artwork can make it hard to get clutter under control. Additionally some 70% of boomers are interested in building a family legacy by saving furniture and other items that they want to pass along to their children. At the same time, the act of deciding what to keep and what to get rid of can get harder as people age. Between 12% and 18% of adults over 60 have some type of cognitive impairment, which can hinder their ability to make decisions.

While younger generations may view stuff differently from their parents, it's important to approach the issue of hoarding with compassion. Working together with seniors to make decisions and helping them meet their needs in more constructive ways can be helpful. It's also crucial to remember that there are real scientific reasons why people sometimes can't get rid of anything.