OCD Flashcards
behavioural characteristics
compulsions
avoidance
compulsions - behavioural
- repetitive, feel compelled to repeat a certain behaviour e.g. hand washing.
- to reduce anxiety - manage anxiety produced by obsessions e.g. compulsive hand washing as a response to obsessive fear of germs
avoidance - behavioural
try to manage OCD by avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, can lead to avoiding ordinary situations e.g. emptying rubbish bins
emotional characteristics
anxiety and distress
accompanying depression
guilt and disgust
anxiety and distress - emotional
- obsessive thoughts are upsetting and frightening, and the anxiety can be overwhelming. the urge to repeat a compulsion creates anxiety
accompanying depression - emotional
OCD is often accompanied by depression, so anxiety can be accompanied by low mood and lack of enjoyment in activities
guilt and disgust - emotional
OCD sometimes involves irrational guilt, for example over minor moral issues, or disgust, which may be directed against something external e.g. dirt or at the self.
cognitive characteristics
obsessive thoughts
cognitive characteristics to deal with obsessions
insight into excessive anxiety
obsessive thoughts - cognitive
sufferers experience obsessive thoughts e.g. recurring thoughts. for example, certainty that a door is unlocked, worries of dirt being contaminated by germs
cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions - cognitive
- sufferers respond by adopting cognitive coping strategies e.g. a religious person tormented by obsessive guilt may pray to manage anxiety
insight into excessive anxiety - cognitive
- sufferers are aware their obsessions and compulsions aren’t rational, in spite of this insight they may be hypervigilant e.g. constant alertness and keep attention on potential hazards
what does the biological approach consist of?
- genetic explanations
- neural explanations
genetic explanation of OCD - genetic vulnerability
- genes involved in the vulnerability to OCD, Lewis found that 37% of his OCD patients had OCD, 21% had siblings with OCD.
- OCD vulnerability may run in families
- according to diathesis-stress model an environmental stress is required to trigger OCD
genetic explanation - more than one gene involved
- genes which create vulnerability for OCD are called candidate genes
- Believed that OCD is a polygenic condition, meaning OCD isn’t caused by a single gene but many genes
- suggested that as many as 230 different genes are responsible
- different genes cause different variations of OCD
genetic explanation - examples of the genes involved
- COMT gene = regulates dopamine, one variation results in higher levels of dopamine which is common in OCD patients
- SERT gene = linked to serotonin, transportation issues cause lower levels of serotonin in OCD patients
genetic explanation - support from twin studies AO3
N - further support for the genetic explanation of OCD comes from twin studies
A - Billett conducted a meta-analysis of 14 twin studies investigating the genetic inheritance of OCD. It was concluded that monozygotic twins had double the risk of developing OCD, compared to dizygotic twins if one pair had the disorder
E - however, since concordance rates in twin studies are never 100%, it suggests that the diathesis-stress model may be a better explanation, whereby a genetic vulnerability is inherited and triggered by a stressor in the environment
genetic explanation - weakness of twin studies AO3
N - twin studies are a standard source of evidence for genetic influence. however, there are weaknesses of using these as supporting evidence
A - they assume that identical twins are only more similar than non-identical twins in terms of their genetics, but overlook the fact that identical twins may also be more similar because of their shared environments. furthermore, identical twins are treated more similarly than to other siblings due to their 100% genetic relatedness
E - it is therefore difficult to measure the influence of genes alone. The reason both twins have OCD may be due to an environmental influence rather than their genetic makeup . this limits the extent to which we can use these studies as supporting evidence.
genetic explanation - reductionist AO3
N- an alternative explanation includes the two-process model proposed by behaviourists
A - model suggests that learning plays a crucial role in the disorder. initial learning of the feared stimulus could occur through classical conditionings’ associative process. for example, dirt is paired with anxiety. this behaviour pattern would be maintained through operant conditioning and negative reinforcement whereby the stimulus is avoided so the anxiety is removed. this could result in an obsession forming which is linked to the development of a compulsion
E - support for this alternative explanation is found in the success of behavioural treatments where OCD symptoms are improved in 60-90% of adults
neural explanation - neurotransmitters
- serotonin plays a role in OCD, causing lower mood and lower levels of serotonin. transportation issues of the SERT gene has been suggested to cause this
- higher levels of dopamine have been associated with some of the symptoms of OCD, the compulsive behaviours in particular
neural explanation - brain structure
- several regions in the frontal lobes have abnormal brain circuits in OCD patients, particularly the basal ganglia and orbitofrontal cortex
- basal ganglia = cluster of neurons responsible for co-ordination of movement. people who suffer head injuries in this region often develop OCD symptoms
- orbitofrontal cortex = converts sensory information into thoughts and actions. PET scans have found higher activity in this area in OCD patients causing increase of conversion, resulting in compulsions
neural explanation - reductionist A03
N - biologically reductionist as offers one simplistic explanation of OCD and ignores other explanations including the role of the environment
A - the two-process model proposed by behaviourists suggests that learning could play a crucial role in the disorder. initial learning of the feared stimulus could occur through classical conditioning’s associative process. for example, dirt is paired with anxiety. this behaviour pattern would be maintained through operant conditioinng and negative reinforcement whereby the stimulus is avoided so the anxiety is removed. this could result in a an obsession forming which is linked to the development of a compulsion.
