Pandemia de Covid-19 e sintomas do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo em adultos brasileiros

Abstract

The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions that consume time and interfere in the individual's functioning, causing marked suffering. Some of the themes present in obsessions and compulsions include contamination, washing, checking, accumulation and symmetry. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the physical and mental health of the world population. The impacts of the pandemic period and the prevention measures against the coronavirus, such as hand and place hygiene, are perceived on mental disorders, especially OCD, considering its particularities. The present study aimed to evaluate the intensity and emergence of OCD symptoms in Brazilian adults in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 380 adults individuals aged from 18 to 73 years (M = 29.8; SD = 11.9) participated in this study. Each participant answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pandemic OCD Symptoms Questionnaire, created for the study, and the Obsessions and Compulsions Inventory – Revised (OCI-R). The chi-square test demonstrated an association between OCD diagnosis and emergence of obsessions and compulsions in the pandemic. Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that the score total of the OCI-R predicts the intensity of obsessions and compulsions in the pandemic, while the logistic regression analysis evidencied that obsession and washing are the best predictors of the emergence of obsessions, and the factors obsession and checking best predict the emergence of compulsions during the pandemic period. It has concluded that OCD symptoms had an increase in intensity during the pandemic, as well as there was an emergence of disorder symptoms during this period. These findings become relevant as they may contribute to instigating the development of OCD symptoms management strategies adapted to the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.