Abstract
Background: This cross-sectional online survey investigates the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms at an early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Methods: OCD symptoms, moderate/high stress, likely generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and likely major depressive disorder (MDD) were assessed with the Brief Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (BOCS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale, respectively. Results: Out of 32,805 individuals subscribed to Text4Hope, 6041 completed an online survey; the response rate was 18.4%. Overall, 60.3% of respondents reported onset of OCD symptoms and 53.8% had compulsions to wash hands during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents who showed OCD symptoms only since the start of COVID-19 were significantly more likely to have moderate/high stress (z = 6.4, p < 0.001), likely GAD (z = 6.0, p < 0.001), and likely MDD (z = 2.7, p < 0.01). Similarly, respondents who engaged in compulsive hand washing were significantly more likely to have moderate/high stress (z = 4.6, p < 0.001) and likely GAD (z = 4.6 p < 0.001), but not likely MDD (z = 1.4, p = 0.16). Conclusion: The prevalence of OCD symptoms increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a rate significantly higher than pre-pandemic rates reported for the sample population. Presenting with OCD symptoms increased the likelihood of presenting with elevated stress, likely GAD, and likely MDD.
Highlights
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause a form of severe acute respiratory syndrome that may rapidly lead to death in vulnerable persons
The groups of respondents who identified as male, over 60 years of age, Caucasian, with post-secondary education, retired, widowed, or living in their own homes contained a higher proportion of respondents who expressed worry related to contamination with dirt, germs and viruses, compared to other respondents
This study suggests that obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms are associated with the liabilities of increased stress, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD)
Summary
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause a form of severe acute respiratory syndrome that may rapidly lead to death in vulnerable persons. It has a high droplet transmission rate from person to person, with a fatality rate of 2–5% [1,2]. In March of 2020, approximately 136 countries imposed stringent measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including staying at home, physical. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 6986; doi:10.3390/ijerph17196986 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph. Public Health 2020, 17, 6986; doi:10.3390/ijerph17196986 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph This cross-sectional online survey investigates the prevalence of obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms at an early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
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