The Relationship of OCD And OCD Symptoms With The Thought Action Fusion in Children and Adolescents During The Pandemic Period

Abstract

Introduction: Thought-action fusion (TAF) is one of the cognitive distortions that can be seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) according to learning theory and is defined as the perception that thought and action are equivalent. The aim of our study was to examine the effects of pandemic-related characteristics on OCD symptoms and severity of symptoms during the restriction period and to evaluate the relationship between OCD and TAF and its sub-dimensions during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: A total of 69 patients aged 7-18 years, who applied to our outpatient clinics and were diagnosed with OCD, were included in the study. Sociodemographic data form, Children’s Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) and Thought Action Fusion Scale for Children were used in the study. Results: The CY-BOCS obsession score was found significantly higher in cases with an increase in the time spent with the family during the pandemic, obsession and compulsion scores in those with an increase in the cleaning efforts related to the pandemic, and compulsion score in those with an increase in the behaviors performed for the purpose of preventing virus transmission. The TAFTOTAL score was found to be significantly higher in females, and the TAFSELF subscale score was found to be significantly higher in patients over 12 years old. Conclusion: The researches on the concept of TAF, whose importance has begun to be noticed with current approaches, and the limited information obtained, cause the additional methods that can be applied in this field to be limited. In the light of current information, TAF appears to have a critical importance in the onset and maintenance of OCD. It is thought that early diagnosis and intervention before the erroneous evaluation and belief areas of OCD become chronic will be important in the prognosis of OCD.