Traumatic life events may play a role in the etiology of hoarding disorder, a psychiatric condition defined by extreme difficulties discarding belongings and associated clutter. Research has indicated that childhood adversity, defined as life events that present a threat to a child's physical or psychological well-being, may be relevant in the development of hoarding. However, only a handful of studies have considered potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between childhood adversity and hoarding. One potentially relevant factor is emotion-related impulsivity (ERI), the tendency to react impulsively when experiencing heightened emotional states. ERI and related constructs have been linked to both childhood adversity and hoarding; however, no research has explored a model whereby ERI may mediate the association between childhood adversity and hoarding. Participants for this study (N=421) were recruited from Amazon's MTurk (Mean Age=36.6, SD=11.1). All participants completed online, self-report questionnaires. Childhood adversity significantly predicted current hoarding symptoms (β=.40, p>.001). After controlling for relevant covariates, out of the three facets of ERI, only Feelings Trigger Action (b = .31, t = 5.82, p < .001) was a significant predictor of hoarding symptoms. As hypothesized, ERI partially mediated the relationship between childhood adversity and hoarding symptoms (FTA: z=6.30, p>.001). Our results suggest that ERI may play an important role in the developmental pathway of risk for hoarding symptoms. Future studies should continue to investigate these constructs, including replicating our results within a clinical sample and considering ERI as a potential early intervention target in the treatment of hoarding symptoms.
