An Investigation of the Effect of COVID-19 on OCD in Youth in the Context of Emotional Reactivity, Experiential Avoidance, Depression and Anxiety

Abstract

In addition to the serious physical and medical effects on individuals, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have short- and long-term psycho-social consequences, especially for young people. Nowadays, with psychological problems becoming more widely recognized in adolescents, it is possible that the fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic will trigger various anxiety disorders, OCD and similar negative outcomes. Considering that psychological qualities such as emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance observed in adolescents may increase the risk of such psycho-social disorders, in this study the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and OCD was investigated in a Turkish sample of 598 adolescents, and the mediating role of emotional reactivity, experiential avoidance and depression-anxiety in this relationship was examined. The data collection was performed online rather than in person because of the COVID-19 threat. A structural equation model was used to determine the direct and indirect predictive effects between variables in data analysis. The results of the study show that the effect of COVID-19 fear on OCD is mediated by emotional reactivity, experiential avoidance and depression-anxiety.