Unrealistic pessimism and obsessive‐compulsive symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Two longitudinal studies

Abstract

Objective Unrealistic pessimism (UP) is an aspect of overestimation of threat (OET) that has been associated with obsessive‐compulsive disorder/symptoms (OCD/OCS). During the COVID‐19 pandemic, UP may have played an important role in the course of OCD. To investigate the relationship, we conducted two longitudinal studies assuming that higher UP predicts an increase in OCS. Method In Study 1, we investigated UP in the general population ( N = 1,184) at the start of the pandemic asking about overall vulnerability to infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 and UP regarding infection and outcome of severe illness. Further, OCS status (OCS+/−) was assessed at the start of the pandemic and 3 months later. In Study 2, we investigated UP in individuals with OCD ( N = 268) regarding the likelihood of getting infected, recovering, or dying from an infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 at the start of the pandemic and re‐assessed OCS 3 months later. Results In Study 1, UP was higher in the OCS+ compared to the OCS− group, and estimates of a higher overall vulnerability for an infection predicted a decrease in OCS over time. UP regarding severe illness predicted an increase in symptoms over time. In Study 2, UP was found for a recovery and death after an infection with SARS‐CoV‐2, but not for infection itself. Conclusions Exaggeration of one’s personal vulnerability rather than OET per se seems pivotal in OCD, with UP being associated with OCD/OCS+ as well as a more negative course of symptomatology over the pandemic in a nonclinical sample. Practitioner points Unrealistic optimism, a bias common in healthy individuals, is thought to be a coping mechanism promoting well‐being in the face of danger or uncertainty. The current study extends findings that its inversion, unrealistic pessimism, may play an important role in obsessive‐compulsive disorder and may also be involved in the development of the disorder. This study highlights the importance that prevention programs during a pandemic should include targeting unrealistic pessimism.

Too much of a good thing? Hand hygiene and the long-term course of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms

“…These participants were invited to participate in a second assessment 3 months later between June 22 and June 30, 2020 (t2), soon after the easing of the first lockdown restrictions in Germany. Findings from the data collected at the start of the pandemic (t1) and (t2) have been reported before, focusing on the course of OCS in the general population from t1 to t2 (Jelinek et al, 2021a) and the role of a cognitive bias (unrealistic pessimism) at the start of the pandemic (Jelinek et al, 2022). The focus of the current study was the long-term course of C-OCS.…”

“…Models A1-A5 analyzed change in C-OCS over time (OCI-R washing subscale at t1 minus OCI-R washing subscale at t3) entered as the dependent variable. Demographic background variables (age, gender, education) were entered as the first block of predictors (model A1) and to control for regression to the mean (following previous publications; e.g., Jelinek et al, 2021bJelinek et al, , 2022 psychopathology at t1 (OCI-R washing subscale) as the second block of predictors (model A2). Changes in duration of handwashing over the first 3 months of the pandemic (i.e., t1-t2) were entered as the third block (model A3) and frequency of handwashing in the fourth block (A4).…”

Quality of life and psychopathology in different COVID-19 pandemic periods: A longitudinal study

“…22 Regarding OC symptomatology, some studies have indicated that OC symptoms tended to recede as the pandemic progressed. 23 On the contrary, other studies have indicated that OC symptomatology tended to increase despite the pandemic becoming milder. 3,24 With reference to QoL/well-being, a slight trend towards improvement was found in a study conducted in Austria six months after the outbreak of COVID-19.…”

Two Years After the Beginning of COVID-19: Comparing Families Who Had or Did not Have Patients with COVID-19 on Health Beliefs and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms

“…One example of such health beliefs is the perception of the likelihood of contacting COVID-19 for a person compared to someone of the same age, sex, residency, and health status. Nevertheless, these results were obtained when some COVID-19-related demographic characteristics such as having vulnerable conditions (e.g., hypertension) were not considered, given the association between perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 and OCS ( 16 ).…”

“…After reviewing several studies, the authors selected the most important demographic characteristics in the recent pandemic ( 19 , 30 ) (see demographic characteristics in Table 1 ). The authors anticipate that COVID-19-related demographic characteristics (e.g., having a vulnerable family member) ( 16 ) and certain health beliefs (e.g., perceived susceptibility and perceived severity) ( 14 ) will predict OCS changes more accurately than other variables. In other words, the present research pursues two goals: (a) examining the impact of having or not having COVID-19 patients in the family on OCS and health beliefs, and (b) predicting changes in outcomes through the health belief model.…”