Experience of Iranian Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder from the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, different environ-mental stressors and the difficult lockdown conditions exacerbated the signs and symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The aim of this study is to qualitatively investigate and deeply understand the experiences of patients during the epidemic and its effect on the exacerbation of their symptoms to help plan the treatment of OCD during these kinds of periods.
 Method: This was a descriptive phenomenological study using Colaizzi’s approach, conducted on OCD patients who visited Tehran Psychiatric Institute. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the patients and continued until reaching saturation. Lincoln and Guba’s trustworthiness criteria for qualitative research (credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability) were used to ensure the accuracy and precision of the findings.
 Results: Fourteen participants with a mean age of 30.3 years took part in this study. The data analysis revealed three themes: the pandemic disrupting OCD patients’ mental structure (OCD exacerbation, increased tensions in interpersonal relationships, mental exhaustion), rationalization of OCD symptoms in the context of COVID-19 (not feeling excluded, conflict resolution with the family, theoretically taking revenge on others), and the assimilation of COVID-19 within OCD (adaptation of the mental world to the world of COVID-19, altered content of obsession, and altered pattern of obsession).
 Conclusion: The stress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic can impact OCD in different ways, mostly by exacerbating the symptoms, adding new symptoms, and altering the type of obsession. The stress of infection is the most important factor in OCD exacerbation.