evaluation - drug therapy

Question 1

ssris and placebo

Answer 1

in the treatment of OCD
- All 17 studies showed significantly better results for SSRIs than for placebo conditions
- supports the use of biological treatments
- however, its critisised for only concluding the short term effectiveness

Question 2

drugs are cost effective

Answer 2

• Don’t need to attend meetings
• Cheaper than CBT for example
• More economical for the health service
• More attractive to paitents

Question 3

only treats the symptoms and not the cause

Answer 3

• SSRI’s increase levels of serotonin, which reduces anxiety and aleviates symptoms of OCD it doesnt treat the cause of OCD
• Once paitent stops taking the drug they are prone to relapse
  CBT may be more effectie in the long term

Question 4

drugs can have side effects

Answer 4

• Indigestion, blurred vision + loss of sex drive
• May not be massively severe = paitents may not want to take them
• Risk of addiction limits the usefulness and effectiveness of drugs as treatments

Question 5

some cases of ocd follow trauma

Answer 5

it may not be appropriate to use drugs when treating cases following trauma when psychological therapies may be better