Obsessive-compulsive disorder during the initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic effect of contamination symptoms and poor insight on obsessive-compulsive disorder exacerbation

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the symptom severity and dimensions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and how patients with different levels of insight have been impacted by the pandemic. This study included 58 patients with OCD. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS)–Obsession, Y-BOCS–Compulsion, and Y-BOCS–Total scores during the pandemic were significantly higher than the prepandemic scores ( p = 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). Compared with the preCOVID-19 period, severity of OCD symptoms increased in 39.7% patients, remained the same in 44.8% patients, and reduced in 15.5% patients during the pandemic. The obsession with contamination, Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (for insight assessment) score, and time spent following the news/data about COVID-19 were significantly associated with an increase in OCD severity. In patients with contamination obsessions as well as poor insight, close monitoring and facilitating access to treatment may reduce the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.