Severity and Changes in OCD Dimensions during COVID-19: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic appears to be associated with a worsening of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in both young people and adults with OCD and it is necessary to analyze the variables involved in this worsening over time. The main aim of this study was to examine long-term changes in total severity and obsessive-compulsive dimensions in obsessive–compulsive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total 250 OCD patients were selected from various associations, clinical centers and hospitals. We discarded 75 as they did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 175 obsessive-compulsive participants aged between 16 and 58 years old (M = 33.33, SD = 9.42) were evaluated in obsessive–compulsive symptom severity and dimensions OCD assessed using the Y-BOCS and D-YBOCS scales in T1 (April–June 2020) and in T2 (March–April 2022). The evaluation was carried out through an online survey and face-to-face with a professional clinician at both time points. Results: Intragroup differences in severity were observed, reaching higher scores for patients with contamination, somatic, aggressive and religious. Some patients changed their main dimension, increasing the percentage of patients with contamination and somatic obsessions. Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with both changes in severity and also affected some dimensions more than others, particularly those related to the virus itself (contamination and somatic).

Keywords

• obsessive–compulsive disorder
• OCD dimensions
• COVID-19
• longitudinal