Alhujaili Naseem, Alghamdi Abdulaziz, Abo Talib Tariq, Alhaqbani Muhammad, Alfelali Mohammad, Alghamdi Waleed
Department of Medicine, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU.
Department of Medicine, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia., Jeddah, SAU.
Cureus. 2021 Nov 29;13(11):e20021. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20021. eCollection 2021 Nov.
Background Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common condition that has a significant impact on people's lives. COVID-19 pandemic imposed a challenging situation for the general population with new precautionary measures. All that can have serious implications for those who already have intense concerns about cleanliness and hygiene and those diagnosed with OCD. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the emergence and severity of obsession and compulsion symptoms in Saudi Arabia. Methods This was a cross-sectional study with 1,190 participants who completed an online three-part questionnaire that included sociodemographic data, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) checklist, and (Y-BOCS) severity scale. On account of the fact that OCD requires a clinical evaluation to confirm the diagnosis, screening positive for OCD was defined based on criteria A of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is selecting at least one of either obsession or compulsion symptoms or both. Screening positive for obsession was defined as selecting at least one of the obsessional symptoms while screening positive for compulsion was defined as selecting at least one of the compulsion symptoms. Results Overall, OCD screening was positive in 82% of participants. Previous diagnosis of OCD was reported by 2.6% (N=36) of the participants and 55.2% of them reported that their symptoms did not change during the pandemic, while 41.1% reported that their symptoms increased. Positive OCD screening was significantly higher in participants who reported previous psychological illness (87.6% vs. 80.9%), those who followed news related to COVID-19 on a daily basis (88.7% vs. 76.1%), and participants who had not acquired the infection (82.9%) compared to those who were infected with COVID-19 (72.3%). Conclusion The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on OCD screening and symptoms. New OCD symptoms were reported in a high proportion of the participants. The results of this study can provide guidance for psychiatrists and psychologists in the clinical approach and management of patients with OCD. Further focused research on the factors affecting the emergence or severity of OCD symptoms needs to be conducted in the future.
强迫症（OCD）是一种常见疾病，对人们的生活有重大影响。2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）疫情因新的预防措施给普通民众带来了具有挑战性的局面。所有这些情况对于那些已经对清洁和卫生高度关注的人以及被诊断患有强迫症的人可能会产生严重影响。本研究的目的是调查2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）疫情对沙特阿拉伯强迫症症状的出现及严重程度的影响。
这是一项横断面研究，有1190名参与者完成了一份在线三部分问卷，其中包括社会人口统计学数据、耶鲁-布朗强迫症量表（Y-BOCS）清单和（Y-BOCS）严重程度量表。由于强迫症需要临床评估来确诊，基于《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》（DSM-5）的标准A来定义强迫症筛查阳性，即选择至少一种强迫观念或强迫行为症状或两者兼有。强迫观念筛查阳性定义为选择至少一种强迫观念症状，强迫行为筛查阳性定义为选择至少一种强迫行为症状。
总体而言，82%的参与者强迫症筛查呈阳性。2.6%（N = 36）的参与者报告曾被诊断患有强迫症，其中55.2%的人报告他们的症状在疫情期间没有变化，而41.1%的人报告症状加重。报告曾患心理疾病的参与者强迫症筛查阳性率显著更高（87.6%对80.9%），每天关注COVID-19相关新闻的参与者（88.7%对76.1%），以及未感染COVID-19的参与者（82.9%）与感染了COVID-19的参与者（72.3%）相比也是如此。
本研究的目的是确定疫情对强迫症筛查及症状的影响。高比例的参与者报告出现了新的强迫症症状。本研究结果可为精神科医生和心理学家在强迫症患者的临床治疗和管理方面提供指导。未来需要对影响强迫症症状出现或严重程度的因素进行进一步的针对性研究。
