New research proposes the Obsession with COVID-19 Scale to pinpoint exactly when thinking about the coronavirus becomes too much. The study was published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
With the emergence of the novel coronavirus comes an explosion of information in the media. The uncertain and evolving nature of the pandemic leads to constant news updates that affect everyday life and are often anxiety-provoking. Study author, Sherman A. Lee, wanted to investigate thought patterns related to COVID-19 and identify when these patterns become maladaptive.
Lee explains, “A reasonable level of attention and reflection on COVID-19 information can help people stay safe during the crisis, but too much disturbing thinking about this infectious disease can be debilitating and unhealthy.”
The study examined survey data from two samples of men and women from across the United States. The first sample was collected from March 11-13 and involved 775 adults with a median age of 30. The second sample was collected from March 23-24 and was made up of 398 adults with a median age of 32.
Lee analyzed the data and identified four patterns of disordered thinking with regards to COVID-19. Statistical analyses found the four items to be highly reliable and they were used to establish the Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS). The four thought patterns are as follows: “I had disturbing thoughts that I may have caught the coronavirus,” “I had disturbing thoughts that certain people I saw may have the coronavirus,” “I could not stop thinking about the coronavirus,” and “I dreamed about the coronavirus.”
To determine the construct validity of the OCS, Lee examined its association with several other indicators of mental distress. The correlation analyses found that heightened OCS scores were related to a multitude of psychological problems such as suicidal ideation, alcohol/drug coping, spiritual crises, extreme hopelessness, and coronavirus anxiety.
Lee then set out to determine what amount of disordered thinking about COVID-19, within a two-week period, would indicate dysfunction. ROC curve analysis determined that an OCS cut-off score of 7 or above indicated dysfunctional COVID-19 thought patterns.
Lee explains what these criteria might look like in day-to-day life. “From a practical perspective,” he explains, “too much COVID-19 thinking roughly corresponds to spending at least three to seven days, dreaming about the coronavirus, repetitively thinking about the coronavirus, having disturbing thoughts that one has caught the coronavirus, and having disturbing thoughts that one saw particular people who may have the coronavirus.”
Given that the analysis linked the OCS to a plethora of aversive outcomes, such as drug use and suicidal thoughts, Lee encourages health professionals and policymakers to address these types of disordered thoughts related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The study, “How much “Thinking” about COVID-19 is Clinically Dysfunctional?”, was authored by Sherman A. Lee.
(Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay)