COVID-19 Anxiety and Washing Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms: Stress Coping Styles as a Mediator

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's psychological functioning, including how the cope with anxiety. This study aimed to assess the role of coping styles on the relationship of COVID-19 anxiety and Washing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (W-OCD) symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 420 people living in Kashan city (Iran) from March to April 2020. Participants were selected by the convenience sampling method due to the difficulties brought about by COVID-19 and completed the contamination subscale of Padua Inventory, Covid-19 anxiety inventory, and coping strategies scale. Data was analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS- 22. Results: The results revealed that emotion focused, somatization and social support coping strategies were significantly associated with W-OCD symptoms. Also, there was a significant correlation between the Covid-19 anxiety with the W-OCD symptoms. SEM result revealed that emotion focused and somatization coping strategies positively mediated the relationship between COVID-19 and W-OCD symptoms. Conclusion: Emotion focused and somatization coping strategies increase W-OCD symptoms following COVID-19 anxiety. Psycho education interventions addressing COVID-19's physical and psychological impacts on health, discriminating the rational and adaptive behavior and obsessive and compulsive behaviors, restricting the information gathering from numerous sources which may lead to increased negative emotions might be helpful.

Genel Popülâsyonda Obsesif Kompulsif Semptomların Yordayıcısı Olarak COVID-19 Stresi ve Bu İlişkide Duygu Düzenleme Güçlüğü, Obsesif İnançlar ve Tiksinmenin Aracı Rollerinin Değerlendirilmesi

“…Again, due to the multifaceted nature of the pandemic (Taylor, 2021), it is thought that it can create a context for existing relationship patterns. In the relevant literature, there are common opinions and similar study findings, although not directly in the context of OCD (Cruwsy, Stevens, & Greenaway, 2020;Gao et al, 2020;Zanjani et al, 2023).…”

“…Bu yönüyle duygu düzenleme kavramı, COVID-19 gibi oldukça olumsuz duygulara (korku, kaygı, şaşkınlık) yol açmış bir süreç açısından kritik hale gelmektedir. İlgili alanyazın mevcut süreçte olumsuz duyguların oldukça yoğun yaşandığını, duyguların düzenlenmesinin zorlaştığını ve insanların duygu düzenlemede artan güçlükler yaşayabildiğini göstermiştir (Torrente ve ark., 2020;Zanjani, Jandaghian, Alvani, Ghorbani, ve Joekar, 2023). Duygusal süreçlerdeki aksamaların psikolojik sağlık açısından etkileri olacaktır.…”

Severity and Changes in OCD Dimensions during COVID-19: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study

“…2023, 13, 1151 2 of 11 the relationship between anxiety about COVID-19 and symptoms of washing-out obsessivecompulsive disorder between March and April 2020, noting that the coping strategies focused on emotion, somatization, and social support were significantly associated with washing OCD symptoms. Some variables related to an increase in the severity of obsessive responses are stress [16,18], intolerance to uncertainty [19,20], health anxiety [20], coping strategies [17], avoidance behaviors [21,22], anxiety, obsessive beliefs related to excessive responsivity, or overestimation of risk [23]. Anxiety was found to be a predictor of the development of OCD beliefs and symptoms [24].…”

“…Hygiene-related beliefs have been associated with a greater progression of symptoms from before the pandemic to its first weeks [ 12 ]. Zanjani et al [ 17 ] evaluated the role of coping styles in the relationship between anxiety about COVID-19 and symptoms of washing-out obsessive-compulsive disorder between March and April 2020, noting that the coping strategies focused on emotion, somatization, and social support were significantly associated with washing OCD symptoms. Some variables related to an increase in the severity of obsessive responses are stress [ 16 , 18 ], intolerance to uncertainty [ 19 , 20 ], health anxiety [ 20 ], coping strategies [ 17 ], avoidance behaviors [ 21 , 22 ], anxiety, obsessive beliefs related to excessive responsivity, or overestimation of risk [ 23 ].…”

“…Hygienerelated beliefs have been associated with a greater progression of symptoms from before the pandemic to its first weeks [12]. Zanjani et al [17] evaluated the role of coping styles in Brain Sci. 2023, 13, 1151 2 of 11 the relationship between anxiety about COVID-19 and symptoms of washing-out obsessivecompulsive disorder between March and April 2020, noting that the coping strategies focused on emotion, somatization, and social support were significantly associated with washing OCD symptoms.…”