Hoarding disorder (HD) is primarily characterised by difficulties with discarding possessions. Evidence-based psychological interventions such as CBT have been found to be of benefit to people with HD. However, people with HD may receive a psychosocial intervention provided by other professions such as social workers or a multi-disciplinary team before receiving psychological therapy, if at all.

The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate psychosocial interventions for HD.

Searches were conducted on three databases (PsycInfo; MEDLINE; Embase) and grey literature, and the search strategy was designed to capture psychosocial interventions for adults with HD.

Studies (n=5) were included where the outcome was related to a psychosocial factors, such as fire safety, tenancy preservation and QoL. These psychosocial interventions show improvements in those with HD, with effect sizes ranging from d=0.86 to d=1.41.

Despite the limited research on psychosocial interventions for HD, this systematic review suggests it is a promising area for further research in this area.

1. (1) To identify what psychosocial interventions are available for people experiencing hoarding difficulties.

2. (2) To identify how available psychosocial interventions for hoarding difficulties are delivered and by whom.

3. (3) To examine the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for people experiencing hoarding difficulties.

Implementation of video call-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling more flexible delivery, but less is known about user experience and effectiveness. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of individual video call-based CBT for adults with mild to moderate mental health conditions (Prospero CRD42021291055). Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched until 4 September 2023. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP) assessed methodological quality of studies. Meta-analysis was conducted in R. Thirty studies (n=3275), published 2000 to 2022, mainly in the USA (n=22/30, 73%), were included. There were 15 randomised control trials, one controlled clinical trial, and 14 uncontrolled studies. Findings indicated feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness (effect size range 0.02–8.30), especially in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for military populations. Other studies investigated depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic with agoraphobia, insomnia, and anxiety. Studies indicated that initial challenges with video call-based CBT subsided as therapy progressed and technical difficulties were managed with limited impact on care. EPHPP ratings were strong (n=12/30, 40%), moderate (n=12/30, 40%), and weak (n=6/30, 20%). Meta-analysis on 12 studies indicated that the difference in effectiveness of video call-based CBT and in-person CBT in reducing symptoms was not significant (SMD=0.044; CI=–0.086; 0.174). Video calls could increase access to CBT without diminishing effectiveness. Limitations include high prevalence of PTSD studies, lack of standardised definitions, and limited studies, especially those since the COVID-19 pandemic escalated use of video calls.

1. (1) This review assesses feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of individual video call-based CBT for adults with mild to moderate common mental health conditions, as defined by the ICD-11.

2. (2) Secondary aims were to assess if the therapeutic relationship is affected and identify any potential training needs in delivering video call-based CBT.

3. (3) The adjunct meta-analysis quantitatively explored whether video call-based CBT is as effective as in-person interventions in symptom reduction on primary outcome measures by pooling estimates for studies that compare these treatment conditions.