The biological approach to OCD

• Genetic explanations

  Lewis (1936)

  Observed that of his OCD patients 37% had family with OCD and 27% had siblings with OCD
• Candidate genes

  • Create vulnerability for OCD
  • Are involved in the creation of serotonin
• OCD is polygenic

  Taylor (2013)

  • Up to 230 genes maybe involved in OCD
  • Genes with association to Dopamine and serotonin
• Types of OCD

  OCD genes maybe aetiologically heterogeneous - the origins of OCD vary from one person to another