TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in a large multi-site college sample
AU - Berman, Noah Chase
AU - Fang, Angela
AU - Hoeppner, Susanne S.
AU - Reese, Hannah
AU - Siev, Jedidiah
AU - Timpano, Kiara R.
AU - Wheaton, Michael G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique risks to college students’ mental health, and specifically to symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To better understand the relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC symptoms in this population, six colleges from across the US administered a battery of questionnaires and an emotion differentiation paradigm to eligible students (N = 841). We examined whether degree of pandemic-related disruption was associated with OC severity, and if so, whether this relationship was explained by trait (poor emotion regulation and differentiation) and state risk factors (poor sleep quality, less exercise frequency, less social support, thwarted sense of belongingness, and greater loneliness). Results indicated that the positive relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC severity was mediated by trait emotion-related processes (e.g., emotion regulation and differentiation), but no state risk factors emerged as significant mediators. Our findings contribute to the literature demonstrating a significant relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC severity, and highlight that emotion regulation difficulties may help explain this association. Our findings can inform evidence-based interventions on college campuses; however, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences. Future research should evaluate these relationships longitudinally and incorporate other psychosocial factors that may operate as mechanisms.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique risks to college students’ mental health, and specifically to symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). To better understand the relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC symptoms in this population, six colleges from across the US administered a battery of questionnaires and an emotion differentiation paradigm to eligible students (N = 841). We examined whether degree of pandemic-related disruption was associated with OC severity, and if so, whether this relationship was explained by trait (poor emotion regulation and differentiation) and state risk factors (poor sleep quality, less exercise frequency, less social support, thwarted sense of belongingness, and greater loneliness). Results indicated that the positive relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC severity was mediated by trait emotion-related processes (e.g., emotion regulation and differentiation), but no state risk factors emerged as significant mediators. Our findings contribute to the literature demonstrating a significant relationship between COVID-19 impact and OC severity, and highlight that emotion regulation difficulties may help explain this association. Our findings can inform evidence-based interventions on college campuses; however, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences. Future research should evaluate these relationships longitudinally and incorporate other psychosocial factors that may operate as mechanisms.
KW - COVID-19
KW - College
KW - Emotion differentiation
KW - Emotion regulation
KW - OCD
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100727
DO - 10.1016/j.jocrd.2022.100727
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85131374546
SN - 2211-3649
VL - 33
JO - Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
JF - Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
M1 - 100727
ER -