OCD

• What is OCD?

  A condition with recurrent obsessions and compulsions
• What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

  • Obsessive thoughts
  • Awareness that behavior is not rational
• What are the behavioral characteristics of OCD?

  • Compulsions are repetitive
  • Sufferers feel compelled to repeat behavior
  • Compulsions reduce anxiety
• What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

  • Anxiety and distress
  • Guilt
• What is the cycle of OCD?

  1. Obsessive thought
  2. Anxiety
  3. Compulsive behavior
  4. Temporary relief
• What does genetic explanation suggest about OCD?

  OCD is inherited within families
• What did Lewis (1936) find about OCD in families?

  37% of parents had OCD, 21% had siblings
• What are candidate genes in relation to OCD?

  Specific genes creating vulnerability for a disorder
• How does the COMT gene relate to OCD?

  Lowered levels cause higher dopamine, leading to OCD
• What is the role of the SERT gene in OCD?

  Causes lower levels of serotonin, resulting in OCD
• How many genes did Taylor (2013) find may be involved in OCD?

  Up to 230 genes
• What research supports the genetic explanation of OCD?

  • Nestadt et al (2010) twin studies: 68% monozygotic twins shared OCD
  • Marini & Stebnicki (2012): 4x more likely if a family member has OCD
• What do environmental risk factors suggest about OCD?

  They can trigger or increase risk of developing OCD
• What did Cromer et al (2007) find about traumatic events and OCD?

  Over half had a traumatic event in their past
• What is the diathesis-stress model in relation to OCD?

  Genes increase vulnerability, but stress triggers it
• What are the neural explanations for OCD?

  • Serotonin regulates mood
  • Serotonin may be removed too quickly
  • Abnormal functioning in brain structures:
  • Orbitofrontal Cortex: high activity linked to worry
  • Basal Ganglia: high activity linked to repetitive movements
  • Left parahippocampal gyrus: regulates unpleasant emotions
• What research supports the neural explanations of OCD?

  • Antidepressants affecting serotonin reduce OCD symptoms
  • Biological disorders can produce OCD symptoms
• What is a limitation of the neural explanation of OCD?

  Many with OCD also experience clinical depression
• How do antidepressants help with OCD?

  • Improve mood
  • Reduce anxiety
  • SSRIs increase serotonin levels in synapse
• What are tricyclics in relation to OCD treatment?

  Older type of antidepressant with more side effects
• What do SNRIs do in relation to OCD?

  Increase levels of serotonin and noradrenaline
• What research supports the effectiveness of antidepressants for OCD?

  • Soomro (2009): SSRIs reduced symptom severity
  • Improved quality of life compared to placebos
• What are the advantages of using antidepressants for OCD treatment?

  • Cost-effective compared to psychological treatment
  • Non-disruptive to people's lives
• What did Skapinakis et al (2016) conclude about OCD treatments?

  Cognitive and behavioral therapies are more effective than SSRIs
• What are the serious side effects of antidepressants for OCD?

  • Indigestion
  • Blurred vision
  • Loss of sex drive
• What is a consequence of side effects from antidepressants?

  Some may stop taking them, reducing effectiveness
• What is a strength for Genetic Explanations as an Explanation for Depression?

  Research Support

  • Nestadt et al (2010) looked at twin studies and found that 68% of monozygotic twins shared OCD compared to 31% of dizygotic twins
  • Marini & Stebnicki (2012) has shown that a person with a family member diagnosed with OCD is 4x more likely to develop it compared to someone without
  • These research studies show that there must be some genetic influence on the development of OCD
• What is a limitation for Genetic Explanations as an Explanation for Depression?

  Environmental Risk Factors

  • It seems that environmental risk factors can trigger or increase the risk of developing OCD
  • Cromer et al (2007) found that over half the OCD patients in their sample had a traumatic event in their past and that OCD was more severe in those with more than one trauma
  • A better explanation is the diathesis stress model, where the genes increase vulnerability to developing the disorder, but an environmental stress is needed to trigger it
• What is a strength for Neural Explanations as an Explanation for Depression?

  Research Support

  • Antidepressants that work solely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms
  • OCD symptoms form part of conditions that are known to be biological in origin, which we can assume that if a biological disorder produces OCD symptoms, then the biological processes underlie OCD
  • This suggest that biological factors may also be responsible for OCD
• What is a limitation for Neural Explanations as an Explanation for Depression?

  No Unique Neural System 

  • Many people with OCD also experience clincal depression and so experience comorbidity
  • It could be that serotonin activity is disrupted in many people with OCD because they are depressed as well
  • This means that serotonin may not be relevant to OCD symptoms
• What is a strength for Antidepressants as a way of treating OCD?

  Research Support

  • Antidepressants that work solely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms
  • Soomro (2009) reviewed 17 studies that showed that SSRIs reduced symptom severity and improved the quality of life compared to placebos
  • This supports the use of biological treatments for OCD
• What is a strength for Antidepressants as a way of treating OCD?

  Cost-Effective & Non-Disruptive

  •  They are cheap compared to psychological treatment
  • Compared to psychological treatment, they are non-disruptive to peoples’ lives
  • This means that drugs are popular with many people and their doctors
• What is a limitation for Antidepressants as a way of treating OCD?

  Drugs May Not Be The Most Effective Treatment Available

  • Skapinakis et al (2016) carried out a systematic review of outcome studies
  • From this, they concluded that both cognitive and behavioural  therapies were more effective than SSRIs in the treatment of OCD
  • This means that drugs may not be the optimum treatment for OCD
• What is a limitation for Antidepressants as a way of treating OCD?

  Serious Side Effects

  • Some people experience side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive
  • These side effects are usually temporary, however they can be quite distressing for people and for a minority they are long-lasting
  • This means that some people have a reduced quality of life as a result of taking drugs and may stop taking them altogether, meaning the drugs cease to be effective