OCD

• Behavioural characteristics of OCD

  Compulsions are repetitive

  Compulsions reduce anxiety

  Avoid situations that trigger anxiety
• Emotional characteristics of OCD

  Anxiety and distress

  Accompanying depression

  Guilt and disgust
• Cognitive characteristics of OCD

  Obsessive thoughts

  Cognitive coping strategies

  Insight into excessive anxiety
• Biological explanation of OCD - Genetic

  Candidate genes = genes that may be involved in producing symptoms of OCD, e.g. 5HT1-D beta

  OCD is polygenic, Taylor found over 230 genetic variations

  Different combinations of gene variations may cause different kinds of OCD
• Genetic evaluation

  +research support, Nestadt found 68% MZ twins and 31% DZ twins have OCD

  +-animal studies found candidate genes, but ratamorphic

  -doesn’t take into account environmental risk factors
• Biological explanation for OCD - Neural

  Low levels of serotonin linked to OCD

  Decision making systems (frontal lobe and parahippocampal gurus) may be malfunctioning
• Neural evaluation

  +research support, antidepressant that work on the serotonin system alleviate OCD

  -most evidence outlines a correlation not cause

  -the link between OCD and serotonin may just be co-morbidly with depression
• Treatment of OCD - Drug therapy

  SSRI’s are antidepressants that increase levels of serotonin at the synapse

  SSRI’s plus CBT offers best effectiveness

  There are alternatives for people who don’t react well

  • tricyclics act on serotonin plus other symptoms
  • SNRI’s (noradrenaline)
• Drug therapy evaluation

  +Soomro et al conducted a study, 17 showed SSRI’ as more effective than placebos

  +cost effective and time effective, plus non disruptive

  -drug therapies can cause extreme side effects, e.g. eating patterns