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Is collectionism a diagnostic clue for Diogenes syndrome?
Author(s) -
MonteroOdasso Manuel,
Schapira Marcelo,
Duque Gustavo,
Chercovsky Mariana,
FernándezOtero Lucas,
Kaplan Roberto,
Camera Luis A.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.1347
Subject(s) - neglect , primary care , social withdrawal , psychiatry , psychology , medicine , gerontology , pediatrics , family medicine
Background Diogenes syndrome (DS) is characterized by extreme self‐neglect, domestic squalor, and social withdrawal. Despite having been described decades ago, it is still difficult to persue a correct diagnosis in primary care clinics. Methods This paper reports a case of an elderly man with extreme self neglect and an abnormal collecting pattern whose condition remained undetected for many years. His collectionism was manifested with a tendency to store items in an organized manner but without a clear purpose. Conclusion The authors suggest that the presence of collectionism could be a helpful clue towards diagnosis of DS in similar cases. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.