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

  • Increased hygiene behavior may be a factor in the development of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (C-OCS). We aimed at investigating (1) the course of C-OCS over 1 year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the effects of changes in hand hygiene (i.e., duration and frequency of handwashing) and related distress regulation on the long-term course of C-OCS. In a longitudinal study, we assessed 1,220 individuals from the German general population at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (t1), 3 months later (t2), and 12 months later (t3). Pre-pandemic data were available in a subsample from 2014 (n = 430). A decrease in C-OCS over the first year of the pandemic emerged with a small effect size. Thirty-six percent of the participants scored above the clinical cut-off score at t1, 31% at t2, and 27% at t3. In 2014, only 11% scored above the clinical cut-off score. Hierarchical regression showed that C-OCS at t1 was the strongest predictor of a long-term increaseIncreased hygiene behavior may be a factor in the development of contamination-related obsessive-compulsive symptoms (C-OCS). We aimed at investigating (1) the course of C-OCS over 1 year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the effects of changes in hand hygiene (i.e., duration and frequency of handwashing) and related distress regulation on the long-term course of C-OCS. In a longitudinal study, we assessed 1,220 individuals from the German general population at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (t1), 3 months later (t2), and 12 months later (t3). Pre-pandemic data were available in a subsample from 2014 (n = 430). A decrease in C-OCS over the first year of the pandemic emerged with a small effect size. Thirty-six percent of the participants scored above the clinical cut-off score at t1, 31% at t2, and 27% at t3. In 2014, only 11% scored above the clinical cut-off score. Hierarchical regression showed that C-OCS at t1 was the strongest predictor of a long-term increase in C-OCS. With small effect sizes, change in the duration (not frequency) of handwashing from t1 to t2, as well as the distress-reducing effect of handwashing served as additional predictors. Implications for information on hand hygiene guidelines are discussed.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author:Lena Jelinek, Anja S. GöritzORCiDGND, Franziska Miegel, Lea Schuurmans, Steffen Moritz, Amir H. Yassari, Jana Christina Müller
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:384-opus4-1171890
Frontdoor URLhttps://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/117189
ISSN:1664-1078OPAC
Parent Title (English):Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher:Frontiers Media SA
Place of publication:Lausanne
Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2024
Publishing Institution:Universität Augsburg
Release Date:2024/11/29
Volume:15
First Page:1279639
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1279639
Institutes:Philosophisch-Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät
Philosophisch-Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Sportwissenschaft
Philosophisch-Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Sportwissenschaft / Lehrstuhl für Behavioral Health Technology
Nachhaltigkeitsziele
Nachhaltigkeitsziele / Ziel 3 - Gesundheit und Wohlergehen
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 30 Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie / 300 Sozialwissenschaften
Licence (German):CC-BY 4.0: Creative Commons: Namensnennung (mit Print on Demand)