The impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on developing obsessive-compulsive disorder in saudi arabia

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious disease. Its potential psychological impact could involve fear of being contaminated by germs and dirt, which may lead to washing hands repeatedly until harm the skin. OBJECTIVES: To explore the incidence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic among the Saudi general population, and to explore its correlation with stress and the associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of a sample consisting of 2909 participants was conducted during COVID-19 outbreak consists of socio-demographic characteristics, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and The Brief Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (BOCS). RESULTS: Most participants were female (73.9%) with university level or above (81%) and were disciplined with quarantine (75.6%). New onset symptoms of obsessive thoughts (worries about germs, dirt and viruses), and compulsive behavior (excessive hand washing) were reported by 57.8% and 45.9% of the participant. Participants who developed these symptoms only during CODIV-19 pandemic were significantly higher than asymptomatic participants or those who developed symptoms before the pandemic (p-value< 0.000). New onset symptoms were significantly more among participants with high stress (57.5% and 51.4%; p-value <0.000). Some sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with new onset OCD symptoms such as age group (40-49 years), employee in non-medical field, housewives, students, being disciplined and spending more days in quarantine (p- value<0.000, p-value<0.047, p-value<0.012, p-value<0.015). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a significantly higher prevalence of high perceived stress in respondents with new onset OCD symptoms. This implies that bio disaster is associated with a high psychological morbidity which needs interventional programs.