Cross-sectional post COVID-19 study of the relationship between psychological distress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in Mexico

Background University students are particularly vulnerable to mental health difficulties, given the elevated levels of social and academic pressure. The recent COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide disruptions in most aspects of social, academic, and work. Many negative effects persisted well after public health measures to contain the pandemic, such as home confinement, were no longer in effect. Methods To assess psychiatric symptoms in university students 1 year after their return to normal on-site classes (fall semester of 2022; normal classes were resumed in fall of 2021), we administered the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) to 348 undergraduate students enrolled in a Mexican public university. Symptom severity was compared across categories of gender, age, and academic major. We also compared our results to published DASS-21 data collected before, during, and after the pandemic. Linear regression was applied to identify relationships between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and DASS-21 depression, anxiety, and stress. Results Women presented greater anxiety, stress, and ordering symptoms compared to men, while younger students (age 17 – 20) presented greater anxiety, stress, obsessing, and OCI-R total symptoms compared to older students (age 21 – 25). The OCI-R obsessing subscale was a significant predictor of DASS-21 depression and anxiety, while the ordering subscale predicted DASS-21 stress. Regression analysis with individual obsessing items as predictor variables suggested that frequency and persistence of intrusive (obsessive) thoughts may be selectively associated with DASS-21 depression and anxiety. Conclusions Our data on prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety and stress in the present sample resemble those reported in other post-pandemic studies and are consistent with an overall increase in symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger students and women may have been particularly vulnerable to anxiety after returning to normal academic activities (i.e., return to on-site classes). Specific relationships between obsessive compulsive symptoms, depression, anxiety and stress may provide clues to underlying psychopathological processes.