Who are digital hoarders? Investigation in terms of mental health and personality traits

Abstract

Digital hoarding is one of the new concepts entering our lives with the digitalization of the world in the present day. The lack of definition as a disorder to date is related to the inadequacy of research related to the topic. In this study, an attempt was made to deal with and explain the digital hoarding concept in terms of psychological variables. The aim of the research was to investigate the correlations between digital hoarding with personality traits and mental health. The sample for the study, completed with a cross-sectıon research desıgn, comprised 1018 Turkish university students attending different universities in the north of Türkiye. Data collection tools included the Digital Hoarding Scale, Ten-Item Personality Inventory, Offer Self-Image Questionnaire and Personal Information Form. As a result of the correlation analysis, significant correlations were identified between digital hoarding with mental health, extraversion, emotional stability, openness to experience and agreeableness. As a result of regression analysis, the subdimensions of personality traits and mental health explained 4% of digital hoarding. The findings contribute to the limited literature about the topic by revealing correlations between digital hoarding and psychological variables. Future research may attempt to repeat these findings using clinical samples.