Description of Work

Hoarding Starts Here - 2021 - Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, paper - Not for Sale

Artist's Statement

What is the most helpful mode and method for identifying hoarding behavior in unreported developing and severe cases? Hoarding Disorder (HD) is a disorder that involves the frequent acquisition of items, an inability to discard of items regardless of value, and some form of impairment that prevents those afflicted from living a functional life. HD accounts for 2-6% of the population today, although those who have it are likely to never report it or recognize it as a problem than they are to request treatment. Measuring tools would be most effective for adults age 30-50.

Hoarding disorder is mentally taxing to many areas of life, especially the relationships we have with objects. How can our relationship with our possessions be contextualized in the lens of our mental health? Are our belongings meaningful collections or comforting accumulations that are a sign of developing internal problems? These questions are explored through a survey that places the user on a scale of severity and provides resources for appropriate care. This survey contains questions from standardized screenings of HD.

­The project will be produced on paper booklets and as an interactive PDF. The booklet survey has an instruction page, a tear-off section to answer questions, and an answer key that allows the user to total up their results. The digital survey has text fields and rating scales that total up the user’s results as they fill out the survey, as well as the instructional components in digital format. The participant can then view their results and have the option to send back their answers by mail or email to receive a free paperback planner. This project aims to simultaneously gain additional research on hoarding disorder as it exists in the general population, as well as provide awareness. It should be noted that this project is not a tool of diagnosis, but initial assessment of existing behavior and its implications.

Link to Artist's Website

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)