Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Comparison with Non-Perinatal Female Controls During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Abstract
Background: Pregnancy and the postpartum period have been associated with increased vulnerability to obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCSs), while the COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional psychological stressors. This study compared self-reported OCSs, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms among pregnant, postpartum, and non-perinatal female controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional online study, 203 women were assessed between June 27 and August 9, 2021, including 66 pregnant women, 53 women who had given birth within the preceding 12 months, and 84 non-perinatal female controls. Symptoms were assessed using the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory—Revised (OCI-R), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The OCI-R recall period was modified to seven days, and its thresholds were used for exploratory categorization. Group differences were examined using analyses of variance and chi-square tests, supplemented by exploratory adjusted analyses. Results: Overall, 35.5% of participants scored at or above the exploratory OCI-R threshold of 18, while 30.2% and 21.3% scored at or above established screening thresholds for depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The proportions did not differ significantly between groups for OCI-R ≥ 18 (p = 0.804), PHQ-9 ≥ 10 (p = 0.892), or GAD-7 ≥ 10 (p = 0.506). Continuous symptom scores also showed no statistically significant group differences. The proportion scoring at or above the exploratory OCI-R threshold of 28 was descriptively higher among postpartum women (22.6%) than among pregnant (10.6%) or non-perinatal female controls (9.5%), but the overall group comparison was not statistically significant (p = 0.065). Conclusions: No statistically significant differences in general self-reported OCSs, depressive symptoms, or anxiety symptoms were detected between pregnant, postpartum, and non-perinatal women. These findings do not establish equivalent symptom burden or exclude perinatal vulnerability to specific obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Larger longitudinal studies using validated perinatal-specific assessments are needed.
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BibTeX
@article{muller2026obsessivecompulsive,
title = {{Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Comparison with Non-Perinatal Female Controls During the COVID-19 Pandemic}},
author = {Jana Christina Müller and Laura Michalke and Amir-Hosseyn Yassari and Franziska Miegel and Heiko Albrecht and Lena Jelinek},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15218665},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8665},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Comparison with Non-Perinatal Female Controls During the COVID-19 Pandemic
AU - Jana Christina Müller
AU - Laura Michalke
AU - Amir-Hosseyn Yassari
AU - Franziska Miegel
AU - Heiko Albrecht
AU - Lena Jelinek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15218665
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8665
AB - Background: Pregnancy and the postpartum period have been associated with increased vulnerability to obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCSs), while the COVID-19 pandemic introduced additional psychological stressors. This study compared self-reported OCSs, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms among pregnant, postpartum, and non-perinatal female controls during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional online study, 203 women were assessed between June 27 and August 9, 2021, including 66 pregnant women, 53 women who had given birth within the preceding 12 months, and 84 non-perinatal female controls. Symptoms were assessed using the Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory—Revised (OCI-R), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The OCI-R recall period was modified to seven days, and its thresholds were used for exploratory categorization. Group differences were examined using analyses of variance and chi-square tests, supplemented by exploratory adjusted analyses. Results: Overall, 35.5% of participants scored at or above the exploratory OCI-R threshold of 18, while 30.2% and 21.3% scored at or above established screening thresholds for depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The proportions did not differ significantly between groups for OCI-R ≥ 18 (p = 0.804), PHQ-9 ≥ 10 (p = 0.892), or GAD-7 ≥ 10 (p = 0.506). Continuous symptom scores also showed no statistically significant group differences. The proportion scoring at or above the exploratory OCI-R threshold of 28 was descriptively higher among postpartum women (22.6%) than among pregnant (10.6%) or non-perinatal female controls (9.5%), but the overall group comparison was not statistically significant (p = 0.065). Conclusions: No statistically significant differences in general self-reported OCSs, depressive symptoms, or anxiety symptoms were detected between pregnant, postpartum, and non-perinatal women. These findings do not establish equivalent symptom burden or exclude perinatal vulnerability to specific obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Larger longitudinal studies using validated perinatal-specific assessments are needed.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -