Biological approach in treating OCD

Question 1

what are the biological approaches in treating OCD

Answer 1

• One major treatment for OCD involves taking drugs that increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
• SRRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• Alternatives to SSRIs: Tricyclics, SNRIs

Question 2

how do SSRIs treat OCD (biologically)

Answer 2

• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
• Type of antidepressant
• Stops the reuptake of serotonin by the presynaptic neuron, and its breakdown, allowing more to flow through the synapse and be absorbed by the postsynaptic neuron
• Dosage varies according to type of SSRI
• Fluoxetine is the most common - 20mg typical dose
• Usually takes at least 6 weeks of being in system, before a change in symptoms is noticed

Question 3

how do alternatives to SSRIs: Tricyclics, SNRIs treat OCD biologically

Answer 3

• if SSRIs have been taken long term with no benefits, then two alternative drugs can be tried:
• Tricyclics - older type - more severe side effects, dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline
• SNRIs - serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors - last 5 years

Question 4

What are the AO3 +ve points for the biological approach in treating OCD

Answer 4

• effective
• combining treatments
• cost effective

Question 5

expand on the +ve AO3 point for the biological approach in treating OCD, effective

Answer 5

• SSRI’s have a huge body of research backing their efficacy
• Research uses randomised controlled trials with ppts randomly allocated either SSRI or a placebo
• Soomro (2009) reviewed 17 studies and found SSRIs were more effective than placebo at curing OCD

Question 6

expand on the +ve AO3 point for the biological approach in treating OCD, combining treatments

Answer 6

• The most effective way of treating OCD is to use a combination of psychological and biological treatments.
• The “dream team” combination appears to be CBT and SSRIs according to research.
• By combining treatments we are tackling both biological and psychological components → always likely to be more effective!

Question 7

expand on the +ve AO3 point for the biological approach in treating OCD, cost effective

Answer 7

• Drugs are much more cost effective than psychological treatments.
• Using drugs to treat OCD is therefore beneficial for the NHS as it cuts costs (in comparison to paying for someone to have short-term CBT, for example).

Question 8

what are the -ve AO3 points for the biological approach in treating OCD

Answer 8

• issues with drugs
• what if biology is not the cause

Question 9

expand on the -ve AO3 point for the biological approach in treating OCD, issues with drugs

Answer 9

• Side effects: SSRIs - indigestion and blurred vision.
• For Tricyclics- weight gain and tremors -even in extreme cases increased risk of suicide.
• tolerance is an issue –> patients begin to need a higher dose for the drug to have the same effect
• addiction is another issue –> whether that be psychological or physical

Question 10

expand on the -ve AO3 point for the biological approach in treating OCD, what if biology isn’t the cause

Answer 10

• Using drugs to treat OCD is obviously going to be effective if biology is at the root of each individual’s disorder
• However, for some people, who psychologists have already identified have developed OCD due to trauma, this is not going to be an effective or suitable treatment!
  –> It will never get to the root of the problem - just mask it by treating the symptoms and not the cause.