Written question WQ96653

There can be a number of reasons why someone begins to hoard, and this can be symptomatic of other conditions. There are also mental health problems associated with hoarding, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. As such, people have access to support and treatment via their GP, Local Primary Mental Health Support Services, and online resources such as SilverCloud. More complex presentations may require a specialist referral.

We have established the Strategic Programme for Mental Health within the NHS Executive with the aim of driving improvement in the quality, safety, accessibility, and experience across all mental health services. This includes improving access to psychological therapies, which would support someone with hoarding disorder.

Our priorities for mental health services are included within the recently published Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy which outlines our approach to achieve seamless services that are person-centred, needs led and ensures people are guided to the right support, at the first time of asking, and without delay. The strategy also includes a focus on ensuring that we effectively communicate the support that is available for mental health.