Online Identification of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Relevant Factors in Patients with Covid-19 in Turkey During Quarantine

Abstract. Aim: Via online interviews, this study identifies the obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 and quarantined at home for 14 days, to determine the incidence of these symptoms, to detect OCSs in the early period, and to identify the associated risk factors. Method: This research was designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of patients who had tested positive in the real-time PCR test for Covid-19 and were quarantined at home in the Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey. The study sample comprised 800 patients contacted between January and April 2021. The data were collected online using a questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, questions on postinfection changes, and the Padua Inventory, a valid tool for determining the level of OCSs. Results: The frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms during quarantine was calculated as 11.2%, and the mean Padua Inventory score was 48.19  ±  19.17. Conclusion: The results of this study show that patients quarantined at home for 14 days with the diagnosis of Covid-19 are less likely to exhibit obsessive-compulsive symptoms during this period. It also shows that the risk of OCSs was lower particularly in patients who had completed a university or higher education and had no previous psychiatric disease or chronic disease diagnosis.