TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of COVID-19 on patients with OCD
T2 - A one-year follow-up study
AU - Moreira-de-Oliveira, Maria E.
AU - de Menezes, Gabriela B.
AU - Loureiro, Carla P.
AU - Laurito, Luana D.
AU - Albertella, Lucy
AU - Fontenelle, Leonardo F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e. Tecnol?gico, Brazil (CNPq; Grant number 302526/2018-8); Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (FAPERJ; Grant number CNE E?26/203.052/2017); D'Or Institute of Research and Education, Brazil (IDOR; No grant number available); Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior, Brazil (CAPES; No grant number available).
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e. Tecnológico, Brazil (CNPq; Grant number 302526/2018-8 ); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro , Brazil (FAPERJ; Grant number CNE E−26/203.052/2017 ); D’Or Institute of Research and Education, Brazil (IDOR; No grant number available); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil (CAPES; No grant number available).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns regarding its psychological effects on people with preexisting psychiatric disorders have been raised, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, only a few longitudinal studies have been performed, and a more longstanding follow-up of a clinical sample is needed. In this study, our aim was to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on symptom changes in a sample of Brazilian OCD patients for about a one-year period. Methods: Thirty OCD outpatients seen in a specialized OCD clinic in Rio de Janeiro were evaluated at baseline and after one year (during the pandemic). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected along with a questionnaire aimed at quantifying the number of stressful events related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons between two time points (pre vs. during COVID-19) and two subgroups (patients with vs without worsening of symptoms) were carried out. Results: As a group, OCD patients treated with SRIs had an overall stabilization of symptoms throughout the follow-up period, regardless of the number of stressful experiences related to coronavirus (median baseline YBOCS remained 22.0 at follow-up). In addition, when individually analyzed, even those who reported an increase in their symptoms did not describe a greater number of COVID-19 related events. Conclusions: Patients with OCD, who were under treatment, did not show significant symptom deterioration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual variations in OCD symptom severity did not seem to be related to experiences linked to coronavirus.
AB - Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns regarding its psychological effects on people with preexisting psychiatric disorders have been raised, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, only a few longitudinal studies have been performed, and a more longstanding follow-up of a clinical sample is needed. In this study, our aim was to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on symptom changes in a sample of Brazilian OCD patients for about a one-year period. Methods: Thirty OCD outpatients seen in a specialized OCD clinic in Rio de Janeiro were evaluated at baseline and after one year (during the pandemic). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected along with a questionnaire aimed at quantifying the number of stressful events related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons between two time points (pre vs. during COVID-19) and two subgroups (patients with vs without worsening of symptoms) were carried out. Results: As a group, OCD patients treated with SRIs had an overall stabilization of symptoms throughout the follow-up period, regardless of the number of stressful experiences related to coronavirus (median baseline YBOCS remained 22.0 at follow-up). In addition, when individually analyzed, even those who reported an increase in their symptoms did not describe a greater number of COVID-19 related events. Conclusions: Patients with OCD, who were under treatment, did not show significant symptom deterioration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual variations in OCD symptom severity did not seem to be related to experiences linked to coronavirus.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
KW - Psychological distress
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85123894603
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.065
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.065
M3 - Article
C2 - 35123340
AN - SCOPUS:85123894603
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 147
SP - 307
EP - 312
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being