How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort
AbstractBackgroundAlthough the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional health are evident, little is known about its impact on patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).MethodsOne hundred and twenty-seven patients with OCD who attended a specialist OCD Clinic in Barcelona, Spain,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-01-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821022148/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811156407056072704 |
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| author | P. Alonso S. Bertolín J. Segalàs M. Tubío-Fungueiriño E. Real L. Mar-Barrutia M. Fernández-Prieto S. Carvalho A. Carracedo JM. Menchón |
| author_facet | P. Alonso S. Bertolín J. Segalàs M. Tubío-Fungueiriño E. Real L. Mar-Barrutia M. Fernández-Prieto S. Carvalho A. Carracedo JM. Menchón |
| author_sort | P. Alonso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractBackgroundAlthough the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional health are evident, little is known about its impact on patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).MethodsOne hundred and twenty-seven patients with OCD who attended a specialist OCD Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, were assessed by phone from April 27 to May 25, 2020, during the early phase of the pandemic, using the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and a structured interview that collected clinical and sociodemographic information. Results were compared with those for 237 healthy controls from the same geographic area who completed an online survey.ResultsAlthough 65.3% of the patients with OCD described a worsening of their symptoms, only 31.4% had Y-BOCS scores that increased >25%. The risk of getting infected by SARS-CoV2 was reported as a new obsession by 44.8%, but this only became the main obsessive concern in approximately 10% of the patients. Suicide-related thoughts were more frequent among the OCD cohort than among healthy controls. The presence of prepandemic depression, higher Y-BOCS scores, contamination/washing symptoms, and lower perceived social support all predicted a significantly increased risk of OCD worsening.ConclusionsMost patients with OCD appear to be capable of coping with the emotional stress of the COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences during the initial phase of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the current crisis constitutes a risk factor for a significant worsening of symptoms and suicidal ideation. Action is needed to ensure effective and individualized follow-up care for patients with OCD in the COVID-19 era. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:49:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5ed53cfad1c4511ace726309c3e2aed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:49:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5ed53cfad1c4511ace726309c3e2aed2023-03-09T12:33:54ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-01-016410.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2214How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohortP. Alonso0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5779-9111S. Bertolín1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1468-7862J. Segalàs2M. Tubío-Fungueiriño3E. Real4L. Mar-Barrutia5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7531-0316M. Fernández-Prieto6S. Carvalho7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1759-5146A. Carracedo8JM. Menchón9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6231-6524OCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainOCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainOCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainGenomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, U‑711, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Servicio Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, SpainOCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainOCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, SpainGenomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, U‑711, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Grupo de Genética, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, SpainPsychological Neuroscience Laboratory, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology and William James Center for Research, University of Aveiro, PortugalGenomics and Bioinformatics Group, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, U‑711, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Servicio Galego de Saúde (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain Grupo de Genética, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, SpainOCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainAbstractBackgroundAlthough the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional health are evident, little is known about its impact on patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).MethodsOne hundred and twenty-seven patients with OCD who attended a specialist OCD Clinic in Barcelona, Spain, were assessed by phone from April 27 to May 25, 2020, during the early phase of the pandemic, using the Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and a structured interview that collected clinical and sociodemographic information. Results were compared with those for 237 healthy controls from the same geographic area who completed an online survey.ResultsAlthough 65.3% of the patients with OCD described a worsening of their symptoms, only 31.4% had Y-BOCS scores that increased >25%. The risk of getting infected by SARS-CoV2 was reported as a new obsession by 44.8%, but this only became the main obsessive concern in approximately 10% of the patients. Suicide-related thoughts were more frequent among the OCD cohort than among healthy controls. The presence of prepandemic depression, higher Y-BOCS scores, contamination/washing symptoms, and lower perceived social support all predicted a significantly increased risk of OCD worsening.ConclusionsMost patients with OCD appear to be capable of coping with the emotional stress of the COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences during the initial phase of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the current crisis constitutes a risk factor for a significant worsening of symptoms and suicidal ideation. Action is needed to ensure effective and individualized follow-up care for patients with OCD in the COVID-19 era.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821022148/type/journal_articleCOVID-19obsessive–compulsive disorderrisk factorssocial supportsuicide |
| spellingShingle | P. Alonso S. Bertolín J. Segalàs M. Tubío-Fungueiriño E. Real L. Mar-Barrutia M. Fernández-Prieto S. Carvalho A. Carracedo JM. Menchón How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort European Psychiatry COVID-19 obsessive–compulsive disorder risk factors social support suicide |
| title | How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort |
| title_full | How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort |
| title_fullStr | How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort |
| title_full_unstemmed | How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort |
| title_short | How is COVID-19 affecting patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder? A longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a Spanish cohort |
| title_sort | how is covid 19 affecting patients with obsessive compulsive disorder a longitudinal study on the initial phase of the pandemic in a spanish cohort |
| topic | COVID-19 obsessive–compulsive disorder risk factors social support suicide |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821022148/type/journal_article |
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