Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

At the end of 2019 in Wuhan province, China, an epidemic of a serious infection of the respiratory system started, in which the etiologic agent was a new beta coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In a short time, which characterized the new CoronaVírus (COVID-19) as a pandemic, causing intense stress in the world. Exposure to stressful and traumatic events is an important environmental risk factor and it is part of an important mechanism in the development of psychopathologies. Stress can induce obsessiveness in healthy and psychiatric populations, in addition to other symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, understanding the impact of the Coronavírus pandemic on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), objective of the present work is extremely important. The assessment of how OCD symptoms can behave during and after the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to implement more effective interventions to alleviate and stabilize the occurrence of psychiatric symptoms in situations of great stress. Thus, we will evaluate patients with OCD followed up in our outpatient clinic so that we can better understand the psychopathological manifestation in the face of this pandemic, that is, we will investigate anxious, depressive, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and the presence of suicidal behaviors. In addition, we will investigate stress and health impact, such as lifestyle changes, substance use and social media use during the pandemic. Thus, it is possible that we will raise to make the adaptation of interventions more effective so that these patients have an improvement in quality of life and a better psychiatric prognosis. (AU)