Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care (Jul 2024)

Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms among adult population in primary care centers in Bahrain – A cross-sectional study

  • Abeer A. Alsaweer,
  • Muneera Tareq Darraj,
  • Shaikha Mahmood Janahi,
  • Fatema Yusuf Aljowder,
  • Nasra Salem Almoammari,
  • Nayla Isa Alkhater,
  • Alhanoof Bader Aldoseri,
  • Abeer Abdullatif Alshaikh,
  • Aysha Khalid Ali,
  • Faezah Ahmed Khaliqi,
  • Amal Ali Mohsen,
  • Amer Almarabheh,
  • Mariwan Husni

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_13_24
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 8
pp. 3031 – 3037

Abstract

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Background: The global increasing prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorders and symptoms among various age groups and nationalities is considered a great clinical challenge. However, limited data are available on this topic in the Middle East and Gulf Council Countries. This study aimed to raise awareness of obsessive-compulsive symptoms among adults in Bahrain by determining its prevalence and risk factors among patients attending primary healthcare centers Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients attending primary healthcare centers in Bahrain. A self-administered online questionnaire using Google form, a free online survey-creating website, was distributed through WhatsApp messages. A snowball sampling technique was used. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: the socio-demographic data of participants, the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory, and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 614 participants were included with a mean age of 30.04 ± 13.04 years. Most participants were females (82.5%) and single (n = 347, 56.5%). The estimated prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms among the participants was 15%; most of them reported mild symptoms (85%). Significantly higher obsession and compulsion symptoms were found among non-Bahraini (P < 0.001 and P < 0.002), single (P < 0.001 and P < 0.033), and student participants (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002) compared to their counterparts, respectively. In addition, undergraduates reported higher obsessions compared to other participants (P = 0.005). Conclusions: Approximately, one in every eight people in Bahrain were found to suffer from obsessive-compulsive symptoms, especially single, students, and non-Bahraini participants. These findings highlight the need for raising awareness of obsessive-compulsive disorder and its symptoms as well as the importance of early detection and management of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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