Prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and their psychosocial correlates among medical students during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) among medical students during COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate their association with related sociodemographic features and other psychological symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, students from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences with no major exam in the preceding or following month were surveyed during April to August 2021 through stratified available sampling. Data were collected by a structured online questionnaire distributed through social media platforms. OCS were assessed using Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) and COVID-related stress was evaluated using COVID Stress Scale (CSS). Overall, 347 students with a mean age of 22.67 ± 2.56 years were included in this study, of whom 30.3% had probable obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; OCI-R score ≥21). Mean CSS scores in students with and without probable OCD were 38.64 ± 19.82 and 26.72 ± 16.63, respectively (P < 0.005). Total CSS score was significantly correlated with OCI-R score (r = 0.38, P = 0.001). Around one-third of the medical students reported significant OCS during COVID-19 pandemic, which was associated with higher COVID-19-related stress. Further research provides insight into management of OCD and related disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stroke, COVID-19, and other somatic aspects of psychiatric disorders treatments

“…COVID-19 pandemic indeed heavily influenced daily living of the general population, but medical students were particularly affected given the proximity to patients and the need of constant individual protection. It is not therefore surprising that in the data reported by Nahidi et al about one-third of the students showed obsessivecompulsive symptoms during pandemic (Nahidi et al, 2023). Interestingly, a trend of higher symptomatology was observed in subjects with history of COVID-19 infection, suggesting a sort of post-traumatic-like sequelae in those subjects.…”