Home quarantine induced health anxiety during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic- evidence from Iraq

Objective: This study aimed to assess the compliance to voluntary home quarantine and to examine the prevalence and associated factors of health anxiety among the voluntarily home quarantined population during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey questionnaire including the health anxiety questionnaire was administered to 1578 eligible adults from the general population of 19 governorates of Iraq. Results: Self-reported compliance with home confinement was reported by a majority of respondents (83%) and was followed to a larger extent by young adults (62.2%), females (53.9%), unmarried individuals (56.7%), university graduates (54.5%), unemployed individuals (48.6%), and inhabitants of the northern provinces (50.2%). Compliance was significantly correlated to the level of personal knowledge on COVID-19. The quarantined individuals experienced greater health anxieties and preoccupations and exhibited increased reassurance-seeking behaviour. Higher knowledge of COVID-19 was a protective factor against health anxiety. Conclusions: A significant mental health burden is discovered among Iraqis during the quarantine period. Based on the insights gleaned from this study, psychological education and interventions should be prioritized to diminish the psychological impact of the quarantine experience, especially among the high-risk groups. Improvement in compliance to quarantine can be approached by providing better information regarding the novel infection.

Development and preliminary validation of a self-report measure of negative independent and dependent events in Japanese university students

We developed a self-report measure for assessing experiences of negative interpersonal dependent events, negative non-interpersonal dependent events, and negative independent events in Japanese university students, which was named the Negative Independent/Dependent Events Scale. We selected items having sufficient content validity in each negative events category. Undergraduate students (N = 247) responded to the Negative Independent/Dependent Events Scale and self-reported measures of depressive symptoms, reassurance-seeking behaviors, inattention, and lack of perseverance. Consistent with our prediction, all the negative events subscales had moderate positive correlations with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the negative interpersonal dependent events subscale showed a moderate positive correlation with reassurance-seeking behaviors, and the negative non-interpersonal dependent events subscale showed a strong positive correlation with inattention. Moreover, the negative non-interpersonal dependent events subscale was more strongly correlated with inattention than the other two negative events subscales. In contrast, the negative interpersonal dependent events subscale was more strongly correlated with reassurance-seeking behaviors than with the negative independent events subscale but not more strongly than with the negative non-interpersonal dependent events subscale. These findings indicated the acceptable construct validity of the Negative Independent/Dependent Events Scale. However, further research is necessary to establish the discriminant validity of the negative interpersonal dependent events subscale and the negative non-interpersonal dependent events subscale.

Do Socio-Demographic and Corona Reassurance-Seeking Behaviour Predict Corona Anxiety? - A study among Indian population.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe anxiety and affected mental and psychological health of the people. Virus related anxiety is thought to be affected by several socio-demographic factors, individual’s risk-perception, and personality. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the predictors of corona virus-related general anxiety and death anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak in India. More specifically, the study examined the COVID-19 related reassurance-seeking behaviours, neuroticism, health anxiety, and risk perception among the adult population. Design: A survey methodology was adopted to collect data from the general adult population (N=550) in India between October 29th to November 10th, 2020. Data analysis was carried out using multiple regression analysis in SPSS to examine the significant predictors of general anxiety and death anxiety of the participants. The analysis used the incremental validity of Corona reassurance-seeking behaviours in the multiple regression model. Setting: The study was conducted among the Indian general population. Findings: Major significant predictors of general anxiety related pandemic included demographic factors like being female, being young, and less educated. Simultaneously, we observed common predictors of virus-related general anxiety and death anxiety, Corona reassurance-seeking behaviours, health anxiety, and neuroticism. The participant's risk perception predicted the participant's death anxiety but not the general anxiety during the pandemic. Discussion: The present study's findings will help the policymakers handle pandemic related stress in a better manner.

Reassurance-seeking behaviour, intolerance of uncertainty, and neurocognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychological condition involving excessive reassurance-seeking (ERS), or repeated questioning of others about something perceived as threatening; low cognitive confidence; and intolerance of uncertainty (IU; Cougle et al., 2012; Nedeljkovic et al., 2009; Parrish, 2009). Relationships between these symptoms and several domains of cognitive functioning were examined in the present study. Thirty-five OCD patients and 34 healthy controls completed a battery of psychological questionnaires and neurocognitive measures. Results indicated that OCD patients reported greater levels of ERS than healthy controls in three different situations. Furthermore, significant relationships were identified between: (1) decision-related ERS and decision-making impairment, (2) cognitive confidence and decision-related ERS, and (3) a particular form of IU, inhibitory IU, and decision-making impairment. These findings are important, as these psychological symptoms are associated with negative outcomes. The relationships identified provide an important foundation for future research and the development of targeted interventions for these symptoms.

Reassurance-seeking behaviour, intolerance of uncertainty, and neurocognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychological condition involving excessive reassurance-seeking (ERS), or repeated questioning of others about something perceived as threatening; low cognitive confidence; and intolerance of uncertainty (IU; Cougle et al., 2012; Nedeljkovic et al., 2009; Parrish, 2009). Relationships between these symptoms and several domains of cognitive functioning were examined in the present study. Thirty-five OCD patients and 34 healthy controls completed a battery of psychological questionnaires and neurocognitive measures. Results indicated that OCD patients reported greater levels of ERS than healthy controls in three different situations. Furthermore, significant relationships were identified between: (1) decision-related ERS and decision-making impairment, (2) cognitive confidence and decision-related ERS, and (3) a particular form of IU, inhibitory IU, and decision-making impairment. These findings are important, as these psychological symptoms are associated with negative outcomes. The relationships identified provide an important foundation for future research and the development of targeted interventions for these symptoms.

Naturalistic observation of perfectionistic behaviours

Perfectionism plays an important role across psychopathology. However, there are almost no naturalistic studies that examine the function of perfectionistic behaviours in everyday life. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors, contextual triggers, frequency, and outcomes of 10 proposed perfectionistic behaviours across a 14-day monitoring period in a community sample: Overpreparing, repeating behaviours, excessive reassurance seeking, excessive organizing, excessive perseverance, quitting too soon, procrastinating, refusing to delegate, avoiding situations where standards may be threatened, and attempting to change other people’s behaviour. Correlates and predictors of these behaviours and their related features are discussed in the context of previous research that has examined these behaviours in less naturalistic ways. The findings of the present study have implications for future research regarding behavioural manifestations of perfectionism, and may provide clinicians with important information about perfectionistic behaviours. Additionally, findings using new perfectionism measures provide evidence for their utility with nonclinical samples.

Naturalistic observation of perfectionistic behaviours

Perfectionism plays an important role across psychopathology. However, there are almost no naturalistic studies that examine the function of perfectionistic behaviours in everyday life. The purpose of this study is to examine predictors, contextual triggers, frequency, and outcomes of 10 proposed perfectionistic behaviours across a 14-day monitoring period in a community sample: Overpreparing, repeating behaviours, excessive reassurance seeking, excessive organizing, excessive perseverance, quitting too soon, procrastinating, refusing to delegate, avoiding situations where standards may be threatened, and attempting to change other people’s behaviour. Correlates and predictors of these behaviours and their related features are discussed in the context of previous research that has examined these behaviours in less naturalistic ways. The findings of the present study have implications for future research regarding behavioural manifestations of perfectionism, and may provide clinicians with important information about perfectionistic behaviours. Additionally, findings using new perfectionism measures provide evidence for their utility with nonclinical samples.

Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Its Association with Other Mental Comorbidities Among a Group of College Students in Shiraz

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a relatively common and often severe psychiatric disorder. This disorder is a highly distressing disorder associated with poor quality of life. In addition, it is characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupation with perceived defects or flaws in one’s physical appearance accompanied by repetitive behaviors such as mirror checking, excessive grooming, and reassurance seeking. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of BDD symptoms and body dissatisfaction among college students. Furthermore, the current study examined students’ checking behaviors and the parts of the body that they were most concerned about. This research also sought to examine the comorbidities associated with BDD symptoms, such as eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and social anxiety. Methods: A total of 750 college students were recruited from different schools of the Shiraz University, including Social Science, Engineering, Art, Education and Psychology, and Science and Art, using the cluster sampling method. Two classes were randomly selected in each school, and those who were volunteers took part in this study. Participants completed several questionnaires, including the Body Dysmorphic Disorder questionnaire, Beck Depression inventory, Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder scale, Social Phobia inventory, and Eating Attitude test. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used. Results: The results of this study showed that about 77% of college students were dissatisfied with at least one part of their bodies. The findings also revealed that the prevalence of BDD symptoms among college students was 4.5%. Furthermore, our results indicated that college students were mostly concerned about the appearance of their skin followed by hair, nose, weight, stomach, height, teeth, breast, and other parts of the body. In terms of checking behaviors, checking in front of a mirror, reassurance seeking, seeking treatment, and comparing themselves with others were the most common behaviors. The most prevalent comorbidity associated with BDD symptoms was obsessive compulsive disorder followed by social anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Conclusions: This study highlighted that the majority of college students were dissatisfied with their bodies. This research also showed that college students are at high risk of mental health problems.