OCD

Question 1

What are the two parts of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Answer 1

1. Obsessions,
2. Compulsions.

Question 2

What aspects of OCD are obsessions and compulsions?

Answer 2

Obsessions are the cognitive aspect of OCD, and compulsions are the behavioural aspect. The obsessions tend to cause people anxiety, and their compulsions are an attempt to relieve this.

Question 3

What are obsessions?

Answer 3

Obsessions are intrusive and persistent thoughts, images, and impulses. They are the internal aspect of OCD, and can vary greatly in severity and content.

Question 4

For thoughts to classified as obsessions by the DSM what need they be?

Answer 4

1. Persistent and reoccurring thoughts, images, or impulses that are unwanted and cause distress to the person experiencing them,
2. The person tries to actively ignore the thoughts, images, or impulses but is unable to,
3. The obsessions have not been caused by other physiological substances, such as drugs.

Question 5

What are compulsions?

Answer 5

Physical or mental repetitive actions, they are the external aspect of OCD.

Question 6

What is the diagnostic criteria in the DSM for compulsions?

Answer 6

1. The person repeats physical behaviours or mental acts that relate to an obsession. Sometimes the person has rules that they must follow strictly. For example, a rule that you must check that the door is locked ten times before you can leave home,
2. The compulsions are meant to reduce anxiety or prevent an unwanted/feared situation - in reality they are excessive/ wouldn’t actually stop the dreaded situation,
3. The compulsions have not been caused by other physiological substances, including drugs,
4. Also states that if the obsessions or compulsions last at least one hour every day this is an indication of clinical OCD.

Question 7

What are four types of common OCD behaviours?

Answer 7

1. Checking - includes checking the lights are off or that your phone is in your pocket, etc.,
2. Contamination - involves a fear of catching germs, in example, going to a restaurant, touching door handles, or shaking hands,
3. Hoarding - keeping useless/worthless objects,
4. Symmetry and orderliness - arranging things to be ‘just right’.

Question 8

What does the psychological approach assume about psychological disorders?

Answer 8

That they are physical illnesses caused by something physical.

Question 9

What are the three biological explanations for OCD?

Answer 9

1. Genetic factors,
2. Biochemical factors,
3. Neurological factors.

Question 10

Evidence in favour of genetics being the cause of OCD

Answer 10

1. Billet et al (1998) did a meta-analysis of twin studies that had been carried out over a long period of time. They found that for identical twins, if one twin had OCD then 68% of the time both twins had it, compared to 31% of non-identical twins,
2. Pauls et al (2005) found that 10% of people with an immediate relative with OCD also suffered from the disorder, this is compared to the 2% of people in the general population.

Question 11

Evidence against genetics being the cause of OCD

Answer 11

1. No study has shown 100% concordance rate, so genetics cannot be the full explanation. It is possible that children imitate the obsessive and compulsive behaviours of their relatives,
2. Concordance rates don’t prove that OCD is caused by genetics. It may be that general anxiety is genetic and that going on to develop OCD itself has other contributing factors, e.g. biochemical or psychological factors.

Question 12

Evidence for biochemical factors being the cause of OCD

Answer 12

1. Insel (1991) found that a class of drugs called SSRIs (anti-depressants), which increase the levels of serotonin, can reduce symptoms of OCD in 50 to 60% of cases,
2. Zohar et al (1996) also found that SSRIs alleviated symptoms in 60% of patients with OCD.

Question 13

Evidence against biochemical factors being the cause of OCD

Answer 13

1. SSRIs appear to offer some relief to sufferers of OCD, however, as this is not true in 100% of cases, there must be more to understanding OCD,
2. The link with serotonin is correlational, so it doesn’t show cause and effect. It may be that decreased serotonin levels are a symptom of OCD, rather than a cause of it.

Question 14

Evidence for neurological factors being the cause of OCD

Answer 14

1. Max et al (1995) found increased rates of OCD in people after injuries that caused brain damage to the basal ganglia,
2. Other researchers have found increased activity in this area during OCD-related thoughts and activities,
3. OCD is often found in people with other diseases which involve the basal ganglia, e.g. Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

Question 15

Evidence against neurological factors being the cause of OCD

Answer 15

1. Aylward et al (1996) didn’t find a significant difference in basal ganglia impairment between OCD patients and controls,
2. Basal ganglia hasn’t been found in 100% of people with OCD, so it can’t be the full explanation.

Question 16

Strengths of the Biological explanation of OCD

Answer 16

1. It has a scientific basis in biology - there is evidence that low serotonin and damage to the basal ganglia correlate with cases of OC, though this doesn’t necessarily show a causal relationship,
2. Twin studies have shown that genetics have at least some effect on the likelihood of developing OCD,
3. It can be seen as ethical - people aren’t blamed for their disorders; they just have an illness.

Question 17

Weaknesses of the Biological explanation of OCD

Answer 17

1. The explanation doesn’t take into account the effect of environment, family, childhood experiences, or social influences. Psychologists taking other approaches consider these sorts of things important factors,
2. Biological therapies raise ethical concerns. Drugs can produce addiction and may only suppress symptoms rather than cure the disorder.

Question 18

What is the biological approach to treating OCD?

Answer 18

Drug therapy

Question 19

What drug therapies are typically used in treating OCD?

Answer 19

Usually using SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a type of antidepressant drug that increases serotonin availability.

Question 20

How do SSRIs work?

Answer 20

SSRIs prevent the reuptake of serotonin in the synaptic cleft; this means that there is more serotonin available in the next neuron.

Question 21

Positive evaluations of biological therapies

Answer 21

1. Several researchers have found that SSRIs are effective in treating OCD. Thoren et al (1980) found that the use of an SSRI was significantly better at reducing obsessional thoughts than a placebo,
2. Research has found that using other anti-depressants that don’t affect serotonin levels is ineffective at reducing OCD symptoms.

Question 22

Negative evaluations of biological therapies

Answer 22

1. Up to 50% of patients with OCD don’t experience any improvements in their symptoms when taking SSRIs. Out of those that do improve, up to 90% have a relapse when they stop taking them,
2. SSRIs have to be taken for several weeks before the patient experiences an improvement in their symptoms,
3. Side effects of using these types of drugs include nausea and headaches, and sometimes increased levels of anxiety. This can cause people to stop taking their medication.