4.2: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Question 1

Outline one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (4 marks)

Answer 1

One behavioural characteristic of OCD is the compulsion element of the disorder, where a behaviour is performed repeatedly in order to alleviate anxiety

Question 2

Outline one behavioural and one cognitive characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (4 marks).
One behavioural characteristic of OCD is the compulsion element of the disorder, where a behaviour is performed repeatedly in order to alleviate anxiety.

One cognitive characteristic of OCD

Answer 2

One cognitive characteristic of OCD is the obsessive element of the disorder, where the sufferer experiences unwanted or intrusive thoughts or images that cause distress

Question 3

Gavin describes his daily life.

‘I sometimes get gripped with the thought that my family is in danger. In particular, I worry about them being trapped in a house fire. I now find that I can only calm myself if I check that every plug socket is switched off so an electrical fire couldn’t start. I used to switch each socket on and off, but now I have to press each switch six times. It takes me ages to leave the house’.

Outline two characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Refer to Gavin in your answer

Answer 3

One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts

Question 4

Gavin describes his daily life.

‘I sometimes get gripped with the thought that my family is in danger. In particular, I worry about them being trapped in a house fire. I now find that I can only calm myself if I check that every plug socket is switched off so an electrical fire couldn’t start. I used to switch each socket on and off, but now I have to press each switch six times. It takes me ages to leave the house’.

Outline two characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Refer to Gavin in your answer.
One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - what?

Answer 4

One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - catastrophic thinking

Question 5

Gavin describes his daily life.

‘I sometimes get gripped with the thought that my family is in danger. In particular, I worry about them being trapped in a house fire. I now find that I can only calm myself if I check that every plug socket is switched off so an electrical fire couldn’t start. I used to switch each socket on and off, but now I have to press each switch six times. It takes me ages to leave the house’.

Outline two characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Refer to Gavin in your answer.
One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - catastrophic thinking, like what?

Answer 5

One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - catastrophic thinking, like ‘my family is in danger and might get trapped in a house fire’

Question 6

Gavin describes his daily life.

‘I sometimes get gripped with the thought that my family is in danger. In particular, I worry about them being trapped in a house fire. I now find that I can only calm myself if I check that every plug socket is switched off so an electrical fire couldn’t start. I used to switch each socket on and off, but now I have to press each switch six times. It takes me ages to leave the house’.

Outline two characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Refer to Gavin in your answer.
One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - catastrophic thinking, like ‘my family is in danger and might get trapped in a house fire.’

One characteristic of OCD

Answer 6

One characteristic of OCD is the behavioural characteristic of performing a repetitive action

Question 7

Gavin describes his daily life.

‘I sometimes get gripped with the thought that my family is in danger. In particular, I worry about them being trapped in a house fire. I now find that I can only calm myself if I check that every plug socket is switched off so an electrical fire couldn’t start. I used to switch each socket on and off, but now I have to press each switch six times. It takes me ages to leave the house’.

Outline two characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Refer to Gavin in your answer.
One characteristic of OCD is the cognitive characteristic of an irrational belief or persistent recurring thoughts - catastrophic thinking, like ‘my family is in danger and might get trapped in a house fire.’

One characteristic of OCD is the behavioural characteristic of performing a repetitive action, like what?

Answer 7

One characteristic of OCD is the behavioural characteristic of performing a repetitive action, like switching the plug sockets 6 times

Question 8

Bob always checks that doors are locked and plug sockets are switched off. His checking routine has become very time consuming. He now feels overwhelmed with fears that his family could be in danger if he does not complete his checking routine. His doctor thinks Bob has obsessive compulsive disorder.

Explain what is meant by ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’ (4 marks).
Refer to Bob in your answer

Answer 8

Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts

Question 9

Bob always checks that doors are locked and plug sockets are switched off. His checking routine has become very time consuming. He now feels overwhelmed with fears that his family could be in danger if he does not complete his checking routine. His doctor thinks Bob has obsessive compulsive disorder.

Explain what is meant by ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’ (4 marks).
Refer to Bob in your answer.
Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts.
How is this shown by Bob?

Answer 9

This is shown by Bob being overwhelmed by the fear that his family will be in danger due to him

Question 10

Bob always checks that doors are locked and plug sockets are switched off. His checking routine has become very time consuming. He now feels overwhelmed with fears that his family could be in danger if he does not complete his checking routine. His doctor thinks Bob has obsessive compulsive disorder.

Explain what is meant by ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’ (4 marks).
Refer to Bob in your answer.
Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts.
This is shown by Bob being overwhelmed by the fear that his family will be in danger due to him.

What are compulsions?

Answer 10

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours

Question 11

Bob always checks that doors are locked and plug sockets are switched off. His checking routine has become very time consuming. He now feels overwhelmed with fears that his family could be in danger if he does not complete his checking routine. His doctor thinks Bob has obsessive compulsive disorder.

Explain what is meant by ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’ (4 marks).
Refer to Bob in your answer.
Obsessions are intrusive, recurring or unwanted thoughts.
This is shown by Bob being overwhelmed by the fear that his family will be in danger due to him.

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours.
How is this shown by Bob?

Answer 11

This is shown by Bob checking that doors are locked or that plug sockets are switched off before he can leave the house

Question 12

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks)

Answer 12

Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD

Question 13

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.

Answer 13

In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex

Question 14

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.

Answer 14

Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD

Question 15

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, how?

Answer 15

Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed

Question 16

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed.

Answer 16

Bob’s family history is being looked at

Question 17

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed.

Bob’s family history is being looked at.

Answer 17

The genetic explanation would focus on the search for gene markers that Bob might have inherited

Question 18

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed.

Bob’s family history is being looked at.
The genetic explanation would focus on the search for gene markers that Bob might have inherited, such as what?

Answer 18

The genetic explanation would focus on the search for gene markers that Bob might have inherited, such as gene 9, COMT, and SERT

Question 19

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed.

Bob’s family history is being looked at.
The genetic explanation would focus on the search for gene markers that Bob might have inherited, such as gene 9, COMT, and SERT.

Answer 19

Family studies indicate a higher percentage if first degree relatives (Bob’s parents) have this disorder

Question 20

Bob’s doctor is sending him for a brain scan and is looking into his family history.

How might the biological approach be used to explain Bob’s obsessive-compulsive disorder (4 marks).
Bob is having a scan, so the neural explanation would say that disturbed communication in the basal ganglia and other circuits might account for the repetitive behaviours seen in Bob’s OCD.
In addition, OCD is linked to abnormality in the orbital frontal cortex.
Low levels of neurotransmitters, for example, serotonin might also explain Bob’s OCD, as serotonin might be removed too quickly before impulses have passed.

Bob’s family history is being looked at.
The genetic explanation would focus on the search for gene markers that Bob might have inherited, such as gene 9, COMT, and SERT.
Family studies indicate a higher percentage if first degree relatives (Bob’s parents) have this disorder - what?

Answer 20

Family studies indicate a higher percentage if first degree relatives (Bob’s parents) have this disorder – 10% compared to the prevalence rate of 2%