Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

A Level Psychology (Psychopathology) > OCD > Flashcards

OCD Flashcards

(81 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What are obsessions?

A

Persistent, intrusive, recurring thoughts/images

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are compulsions?

A

Repetitive, ritualistic behaviours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are some common compulsions?

A

Excessive hand washing
Cleaning
Hoarding

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How much of the world has OCD?

A

1.2%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Obsessive thoughts?

A

For 90% of sufferers, the major feature is obsessive thoughts
COGNITIVE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Emotional-Accompanying depression?

A

Sufferers usually have depression, anxiety, low mood and lack of enjoyment in activities
EMOTIONAL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions?

A

E.g. religious person may pray/meditate to get rid of guilt
Helps manage anxiety but makes them appear abnormal and distracts from everyday tasks
COGNITIVE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Behavioural- Avoidance?

A

Avoidance to reduce the anxiety which is triggered by the situation
Interferes with everyday life
BEHAVIOURAL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Cognitive-insight into excessive anxiety?

A

aware it is not rational
Catastrophic thoughts about worst case scenarios
Constant alertness and focus on potential hazards
COGNITIVE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Guilt and disgust?

A

Irrational guilt
Disgust directed at external object/self
EMOTIONAL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Emotional-Anxiety and distress?

A

Unpleasant emotional experience due to the anxiety it creates
Obsessions are unpleasant and frightening- anxiety can be overwhelming
Urge to repeat the behaviour creates the anxiety
EMOTIONAL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Compulsive behaviour?

A

Repetitive compulsions- sufferers feel compelled to repeat a behaviour creates
The compulsions are performed to reduce/manage the anxiety
BEHAVIOURAL

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

The OCD cycle?

A

Obsessions -> anxiety -> compulsions -> temporary relief

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is involved in individual vulnerability in OCD?

A

Genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Lewis?

A

Lewis observed that 37% of his OCD patients had parents with OCD and 21% of the patients had siblings with OCD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is passed from one generation to the next?

A

Genetic vulnerability not the certainty of OCD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What does the diathesis stress model say?

A

Certain genes leave some people more likely to develop a mental disorder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is necessary to trigger the condition?

A

Environmental stress (experience)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are genes which create vulnerability for OCD called?

A

Candidate genes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Is OCD caused by one single gene?

A

No- OCD is polygenic
230 genes may be involved in OCD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What do neurotransmitters do?

A

Carry, boost and regulate signals between neurons and other cells in the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does serotonin do?

A

Sends mood-relevant information
If this does not occur, then mood and mental processes may be affected

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What can some cases of OCD be explained by?

A

A reduction in the functioning of the serotonin system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Hu 2006?

A

Low levels of serotonin have been found in people with OCCD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Where does serotonin play an active role in?
The orbito-frontal cortex The caudate nucleus
26
What does the drug SSRI do?
Increases the levels of serotonin in the brain
27
How does the orbitofrontal cortex function in an OCD brain?
Detects an error when there isn’t one and sends worry signals
28
How does the basal ganglia function in an OCD brain?
Causes repetitive behaviours
29
How does the cingulate gyrus function in an OCD brain?
Adds emotions like disgust and guilt to anxious thoughts
30
What does the caudate nucleus do in an OCD brain?
Fails to filter anxious thoughts
31
What is the worry circuit?
The OFC sends signals to the thalamus via the caudate nucleus about things that are worrying The cingulate cortex acts as a relay system The caudate nucleus regulates signals from the OFC When the caudate nucleus is damaged, it fails to suppress the worry signals and the thalamus is alerted which sends signals back to the OFC and the worry is confirmed This increases compulsions and anxiety
32
What research supports the genetic basis of OCD?
Family studies and twin studies
33
What do biopsychologists investigate between family members?
Concordance rates for traits like OCD
34
The higher the concordance rate?
The more likely the trait was inherited
35
What does gene mapping indicate?
Indicates a genetic link- particular genes make some people more vulnerable to developing OCD
36
What did Lenane et al show evidence for?
Prevalence of OCD in related family members shows evidence for heritability
37
What are 3 problems with the genetic explanation?
No one is really sure what is being inherited via the genes- there is not a specific gene found Never get 100% concordance Some OCD forms are more genetic in nature than others (contamination, aggression)
38
What are 2 genes that have been implicated in OCD?
The COMT gene The SERT gene
39
What does the COMT gene do?
Helps to reduce the action of dopamine
40
What occurs when there is variation in the COMT gene?
Decreases the amount of COMT available- therefore dopamine is not controlled Too much dopamine
41
What does the SERT gene affect?
Affects the transport of serotonin- creating lower levels of the neurotransmitter Lower levels of serotonin have been implicated with OCD
42
What is used to treat OCD if CBT does not work?
Drug treatment
43
What is the most common drug treatment for OCD?
Antidepressant medication
44
What do antidepressants act on?
The levels of serotonin at the synapse
45
What drugs are used to raise serotonin levels?
Fluoxetine or sertraline
46
How do drugs raise serotonin levels?
Block the reuptake from the synapse back into the releasing neuron- therefore more serotonin is available for a longer period
47
Is the dosage for OCD higher than the dosage used for depression? (Antidepressants)
Yes
48
How long may it take for antidepressants to work?
Up to 12 weeks AND some people do not respond to medication
49
How do tricyclics/ SNRI’s function?
By inhibiting serotonin and norepinephrine repute within the pre synaptic terminals which results in elevated concentrations of these transmitters within the synaptic cleft
50
Is there more or less side effects with tricyclics/SNRI’s than antidepressants?
More side effects as they are working on more chemical processes
51
When are tricyclics/SNRI’s used?
If SSRI’s fails
52
What are benzodiazepines (BZs)
A group of anti-anxiety drugs that include Valium and diazepam
53
How do BZs work?
They increase the action of a neurotransmitter called GABA This means it makes the receiving neuron less likely to fire, which slows down the brain Anxiety is therefore reduced and the obsessive thoughts in OCD
54
What is CBT recommended by?
NICE
55
Is CBT goal oriented and is it quick or slow?
Yes- is goal oriented Relatively quick- a course of CBT runs for 3 months
56
What are the 2 components to CBT?
Cognitive component- focuses on changing thought processes Behavioural component- focuses on changing actions/behaviours
57
What is the aim of CBT?
Not to remove the intrusive thoughts but to change the beliefs that they trigger
58
What does CBT begin with?
The thoughts that are the least anxiety provoking
59
What is habituation training?
The client is asked to think about their obsessive thoughts and they will then become less anxiety provoking and the compulsion is not needed to reduce the anxiety
60
What is the most common behavioural therapy used as part of CBT for OCD?
Exposure and response prevention therapy (ERPT)
61
What does ERPT focus on?
The compulsions found in OCD- complements the use of cognitive therapy which targets the obsessions
62
What 4 steps make up ERPT?
1) informing the client about ERPT and what the therapy will involve 2) using an exposure hierachy- starts with mildly anxiety raising situations and goes through to the highest level of anxiety 3) repeated exposure to situations that cause high anxiety until the level of anxiety reduces 4) getting the client to resist and refrain from performing the compulsive behaviour
63
2 cognitive characteristics?
Awareness that behaviour is irrational Obsessions
64
Behaviour characteristic?
Compulsions
65
Emotional characteristics?
Disgust High anxiety
66
Example of an obsession?
Worries of being contaminated by dirt/germs
67
Aubrey Lewis? (Individual vulnerability)
37% of his OCD patients had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD Suggests that OCD runs in families
68
What is the diathesis stress model?
Certain genes leave some people more likely to develop a mental disorder but is it not certain Some environmental stress is necessary to trigger the condition
69
Steven Taylor?
Analysed findings of previous studies and found evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD
70
What is aetiologically heterogenous?
One group of genes may cause OCD in one person but a different group of genes may cause the disorder in another person The origins of OCD vary from one person to another
71
What is hoarding disorder associated with? I
ImPaired decision making
72
Gerald Nestadt?
Reviewed twin studies and found that 68% of identical twins (MZ) shared OCD as opposed to 31% of non-identical (DZ) twins
73
Marini and Stebnicki?
A person with a family member diagnosed with OCD is around 4 times as likely to to develop it as someone without
74
Limitation of genetic model of OCD?
Environmental risk factors Genetic variation can make a person more or less vulnerable to OCD Kiara Cromer- over half of the OCD patients in their sample had experienced a traumatic event in their past OCD was more severe in those with one or more traumas
75
Ahmari- animal studies?
Evidence from animal studies shows that particular genes are associated with repetitive behaviours e.g. mice
76
AO3: strength for neural model of OCD- supporting evidence?
Antidepressants that work purely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms- suggests serotonin may be involved in OCD OCD symptoms form parts of conditions that are known to be biological in origin e.g. Parkinson’s disease If a biological disorder produces OCD symptoms then we can assume the biological processes underlie OCD Suggests that biological factors may be responsible for OCD
77
Limitation of neural model for OCD- serotonin-OCD link may not be unique to OCD?
Many people with OCD also suffer with depression Having 2 disorders together = co-morbidity Depression probably involves disruption to the action of serotonin Could be that serotonin activity is disrupted in many people with OCD because they are also depressed. Means that serotonin may not be relevant to OCD symptoms
78
AO3: drug treatment- effectiveness?
Clear evidence that shows that SSRI’s reduce symptom severity and improve the quality of life for people with OCD. G.Mustafa Soomro et al- reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRI’s to placebos in the treatment for OCD All 17 studies showed that there are significantly better outcomes for SSRI’s than for the placebo conditions Symptoms reduce for around 70% of people taking SSRI’s
79
Counterpoint of effectiveness of drug treatment?
Petros Skapinakis carried out a systematic review of outcome studies and concluded that cognitive and behavioural therapies are more effective than SSRI’s in the treatment of OCD Means that drugs may not be the optimum treatment for OCD
80
AO3: drug treatment- cost effective and non-disruptive?
Cheap compared to psychological treatments because thousands of tablets can be manufactured in the time it takes to conduct 1 session of psychological therapy Using drugs is good for the NHS SSRI’s are non-disruptive to people’s lives- can take drugs until your symptoms decline Different from physiologic therapy as you have to spend time attending therapy sessions
81
AO3: drug treatment side effects?
SSRI’s help most people but a small minority will not get any benefit Side effects: indigestion blurred vision and loss of sex drive People may have a reduced quality of life and may stop taking them altogether- the drugs are not effective

A Level Psychology (Psychopathology) (12 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions