Can virtual reality help hoarders declutter their homes?

Virtual reality (VR) technology could be an effective tool in helping people with a hoarding disorder declutter their homes. Participants in a recent study reported reduced symptoms and increased discarding of objects in real life after using the technology.

The study involved nine participants aged 55 and over who took photos and videos of the most cluttered room in their home, as well as 30 possessions. That footage was used to create a 3D virtual replica of the room that they could access and interact with via a VR headset. They then participated in a 16-week online group therapy session, and during weeks seven through 14 they participated in individual clinician-guided VR sessions. During these sessions, they practiced placing objects from their virtual room into recycling, donation or trash bins (the latter was even picked up by a virtual truck).

The study found that the VR component helped the participants gain a better understanding of their relationship with their possessions, and it was less stressful for them to practice getting rid of things in VR than in a real-life scenario. “It’s nice to be able to titrate in a virtual space for people who experience considerable distress even attempting to part with possessions,” said Carolyn Rodriguez, a senior author of the study.

“People tend to have a lot of biases against hoarding disorder and see it as a personal limitation instead of a neurobiological entity. We just really want to get the word out there that there’s hope and treatment for people who suffer from this. They don’t have to go it alone.”