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Severity and Changes in OCD Dimensions during COVID-19: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study.
Ángel Rosa-Alcázar1, Jose Luis Parada-Navas2, Maria Dolores García-Hernández1
1Department of Personality, Assessment & Psychological Treatment, University of Murcia, Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
Brain Sciences
|August 26, 2023
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, particularly contamination and somatic obsessions, over two years. This study tracked changes in OCD severity and dimensions in 175 patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Mental Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to increased obsessive-compulsive symptoms in individuals with OCD.
- Understanding the long-term impact of the pandemic on OCD is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze long-term changes in the overall severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- To examine shifts in specific obsessive-compulsive dimensions among patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- 175 adult participants diagnosed with OCD were evaluated.
- Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and dimensions were assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (D-YBOCS).
- Data were collected at two time points: April-June 2020 (T1) and March-April 2022 (T2) via online surveys and in-person clinician assessments.
Main Results:
- A significant increase in obsessive-compulsive symptom severity was noted in patients with contamination, somatic, aggressive, and religious obsessions.
- A notable shift occurred in the primary dimension of obsessions for some patients.
- There was an increased prevalence of contamination and somatic obsessions.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic correlated with changes in OCD severity and specific symptom dimensions.
- Dimensions directly related to the pandemic, such as contamination and somatic obsessions, were particularly affected.
- Findings highlight the pandemic's differential impact on OCD symptom clusters.
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