The Diogenes syndrome (after Diogenes of Sinope) is a term to describe severe domestic squalor and self-neglect, typically occurring in the elderly.
Criteria for the Diogenes syndrome (Halliday et al, 2000):
(1) presence of marked domestic squalor
(2) evidence of self-neglect
(3) living alone and social withdrawal
(4) any evidence of hoarding
(5) lack of concern about the state of surroundings
The proportion of patients with active mental illness increases as the number of criteria present increases. Some recommend using the term Diogenes syndrome only in those patients without an active mental disorder.
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