Biological Approach To Treating OCD

Question 1

What are two types of drugs used to treat OCD?

Answer 1

1. Anti-depressants 2. Anti-anxiety drugs.

Question 2

State the three types of antidepressant drugs used to treat OCD.

Answer 2

1. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
2. Tricyclics
3. Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Question 3

Explain how SSRIs treat depression

Answer 3

They inhibit the re-absorption of serotonin in the pre-synaptic neuron, increasing the concentration of serotonin at the synapse. This increase in serotonin reduces anxiety and thus obsessive/irrational thoughts.

Question 4

Explain how SNRIs treat OCD.

Answer 4

They block the transporter mechanism that re-absorbs both serotonin and noradrenaline.

Question 5

How do anti-anxiety drugs work? (Benzodiazepine)

Answer 5

They reduce anxiety by slowing down the activity of the CNS by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA has a quieting effect which redues anxiety

Question 6

2 Strengths (1 counter) of biological approach to treating OCD.

Answer 6

Research support for effectiveness:
Soomro et al. (2009): Reviewed 17 studies comparing SSRIs to placebos. Found that SSRIs are more effective than placebos in reducing symptoms of OCD up to 3 months after treatment. Symptoms reduced by about 70%
COUNTER - Not the most effective form of treatment. Skapinakis (2016) found CBT more effective than SSRIs in treating OCD.

Drug therapies are cost-effective and non-disruptive:
Drug therapies require little input from the user in terms of effort and time. In contrast, therapies such as CBT require the patient to attend regular meetings and put considerable thought into tackling their problems.
Also drug therapies are cheaper for the health service because they require little monitoring and cost much less than psychological treatments

Question 7

3 Limitations of the biological approach to treating OCD

Answer 7

1. Side effects – nausea, headaches, hallucinations, aggressiveness. These side effects limit effectiveness as people may stop taking the medication due to these extraneous effects.
2. Not a lasting cure – symptoms return when patient stops taking medication. Maina et al (2001) found that patients relapse within a few weeks if medication is stopped.
3. Publication bias: There is evidence of a publication bias towards studies that show a positive outcome of antidepressant treatment, –> exaggerating its benefits. Drug companies have a strong interest in the continuing success of psychotherapeutic drugs and much of the research is funded by these companies.