Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Psychopathology) Flashcards
Obsession
A persistent thought, idea, impulse or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive and causes anxiety.
Compulsion
A repetitive and rigid behaviour or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety.
4 Categories of OCD
-Regular OCD: obsessions and compulsions
-Trichotillomania: compulsive hair pulling
Hoarding Disorder: compulsive gathering of possessions regardless of its value
-Excoriation Disorder: compulsive skin picking
Emotional Characteristics of OCD
DG
Depression; long lasting sense of sadness
Guilt and disgust
Behavioural characteristics of OCD
CA
Compulsions: behaviours performed repeatedly
Avoidance: avoid objects that trigger obsessions
Cognitive characteristics of OCD
OH
Obsessions: unpleasant recurring thoughts
Hypervigilance: permanent state of alertness
Biological Explanation for OCD
Genes can predispose individuals to the illness through inheritance
Evaluations of biological explanation for OCD
Nestadt found DZ twins have a 31% concordance rates + MZ have 68% suggesting the additional shared DNA is responsible for the increased concordance
Family studies could be used to explain environmental influences
Polygenetic
OCD is thought to be polygenic- meaning that development is not determined by a single gene, but rather 230 genes. This means that there is little predictive power from this explanation.
Candidate genes
Candidate genes are found frequently in people with OCD
- SERT gene affects the reuptake of serotonin
- COMT gene regulates the production of dopamine
The diathesis stress model
The diathesis-stress model suggests that people gain a vulnerability towards OCD through genes but an environmental stressor is also required
This could be a stressful event, for example a bereavement
Neural explanations
Lower levels of serotonin causes normal transmission of mood-relevant information to take place. Lower levels can lead to depression and mood instability
SSRI
SSRIs work on increasing certain neurotransmitters in the brain by preventing the re-absorption of serotonin
By preventing the re-absorption of serotonin, SSRIs effectively increase the levels of serotonin in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the post-synaptic neuron.
Tricyclics
Type of antidepressant that has the same effect on serotonin as SSRI. (clomipramine)
SNRIs
serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. Second line of defence for patients who do not respond well to SSRIs.
Positive Evaluation of biological treatments
Soormo 2009
Drug therapy is effective at tackling OCD symptoms
there is clear research to suggest that SSRIs are effective in reducing the severity of OCD symptoms
Drugs are cost-effective and non-disruptive
cheap in comparison to psychological treatments
Negative Evaluation of biological treatments
Drugs can have side-effects
a significant minority receive no benefit or suffer from side-effects (weight gain, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction and loses of memory)
