Biological treatment for OCD

• Outline drug therapy as a treatment for OCD. 1


  The biological approach to treating OCD typically involves the use of SSRls that block the re-uptake of serotonin, thus Increasing its levels in the synapse.

  As serotonin helps to regulate mood, increasing its levels reduces the obsessive thinking and anxiety seen in people with OCD.

  If SSRls are ineffective or produce lots of side effects in an individual with OCD, they may be prescribed other drug therapies such as benzodiazepines (BZs).
• Outline drug therapy as a treatment for OCD. 2


  BZs attach to GABA receptors and, when they do this, they make it more likely that GABA neurotransmitters will bind.

  GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter so increasing its activity results in the decreased firing of neurons in the nervous system.

  BZs therefore reduce the anxiety and obsessions in people with OCD by relaxing the nervous system.
• Evaluate drug therapy as a treatment for OCD: effective.

  E g. research comparing SSRIs to placebos have found that patients show significantly more improvement in obsessive thoughts and anxiety in the SSRI condition than in the placebo condition. This is a strength as it shows that drug therapies for OCD are effective, and their effectiveness is not a placebo effect.
• Evaluate drug therapy as a treatment for OCD: cheap and easy to access.

  This is because they can be mass produced at relatively little cost and can be quickly prescribed for people with OCD to take at home. This is a strength because their cheaper costs means that the under-funded NHS are more likely to be able to offer this treatment and their ability to be taken at home means that people with severe OCD whose obsessions and compulsions prevent them from leaving the house can still access and engage in the treatment.
• Evaluate drug therapy as a treatment for OCD: produce side effects.

  E.g. SSRls produce side effects such as dizziness, headaches, and difficulties sleeping. This is a limitation because It may cause people with OCD to stop taking the drugs, thus reducing the effectiveness of drug therapies. In contrast, alternative treatments such as CBT do not produce side effects. This is because CBT is a psychological rather than biological therapy. This is a strength of CBT over drug therapies because it means people with OCD are less likely to drop out of the therapy, maximising its success.
• Evaluate drug therapy as a treatment for OCD: short-term effects.

  Research has found high relapse rates when people with OCD stop taking their medication. This is a limitation because it has resulted in many arguing that drugs aim to just suppress the symptoms as opposed to tackling the root cause . In contrast, alternative treatments such as CBT has been found to produce longer lasting effects.