⭐️ OCD - explanation & treatment✅

Question 1

what are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 1

• compulsions = actions carried out repeatedly in a ritualistic way to reduce anxiety
• avoidance = avoiding mutations that trigger anxiety or avoid something happening eg someone might wash their hands 4 times to avoid being scared of catching covid

Question 2

what are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 2

• anxiety and distress = obsessive thoughts are scary and unpleasant
• guilt and disgust = irrational guilt if they dont do something a certain amount of times

Question 3

what are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 3

• obsessive thoughts = reoccurring intrusive thoughts eg someone might wash their hands 4 times to make sure no one in their family gets hurt
• insight into excessive anxiety = aware that their thoughts are irrational , they become hyperviggilant

Question 4

explanation - biological approach:

what are the 2 explanations?

Answer 4

1- genetic explanations

2- neural explanations

Question 5

explanation - biological approach:
(genetic)

what are candidate genes?

what are the 2 types?

what do they both do?

Answer 5

they create vulnerability for OCD

1- SERT gene - low serotonin
2-COMT gene - high dopamine

regulate mood, high serotonin makes ppl happy

Question 6

explanation - biological approach:
(genetic)

OCD is polygenic, what does this mean?

how does OCD very between ppl?

why might this be the case?

Answer 6

ocd îs not caused by one single gene its caused by several

one group of genes may cause OCD in one person but as different group of genes may effect another person

OCD might be the result of particular genetic variations

Question 7

AO3 - genetic explanation:

✅ 2 strengths

Answer 7

✅ good evidence supporting it to say some ppl are vulnerable to OCD as a result of their genetic makeup . twin. studies had been conducted and found that 68% MZ twins shared OCD whereas only 31% DZ did

✅ has led to ppl seeking effective treatment if they know a parent has OCD it will encourage them to et tested

Question 8

AO3 - genetic explanation:

❌ 2 weaknesses

Answer 8

❌ too many candidate genes have been identified, twin studies suggest ocd largely genetic but less successful at pinning down all the genes. less useful bc out provides little predictive value

❌ biological deterministic - environmental factors are also involved - environmental factors can trigger the risk of ocd, cromer found out her half of the ocd patients I their sample had a traumatic event in their pas which made their ocd more severe

Question 9

explanation - biological approach:
(neural) - synaptic transmission

what are neurotransmitters responsible for? what happens if someone has low serotonin levels

what part of the brain effects impaired decision making? what is this responsible for?

Answer 9

relaying info from one neuron to another. if some one has low serotonin then normal transmission of mood- relevant info doesn’t take place

frontal lobes

logical thinking and decision making

Question 10

explanation - biological approach:
(neural)

what is the parahippocampal gyrus known for?

what is the basal ganglia thought to be connected too?

what is over activity in the orbitofrontal cortex suggested to be linked to?

Answer 10

there area of the brain that is associated with processing unpleasant emotions, functions abnormally in OCD.

• involuntary movements such as compulsions
• linked to obsessions

Question 11

AO3- neural explanation:

✅ strength

Answer 11

✅ supporting evidence for neural explanations. antidepressants work on the serotonin system are effective in reducing OCD symptoms. ocd symptoms are also part of biological conditions like Parkinson’s. this suggest the biological processes that cause these symptoms may also be responsible for ocd.

Question 12

AO3- neural explanation:

❌ weakness

Answer 12

❌ the serotonin - OCD link may not be unique to OCD. many ppl who suffer with ocd become depressed. having two disorders together is called co-morbidity. depression usually involves disruption to the serotonin system so ti could be that many ocd patients have issues with heir serotonin systems because they are depressed aswell.

CA- not every one who has ocd is depressed, some ppl learn to deal with it and it only effects there behaviour and cognitive process as opposed to feeling depressed.

Question 13

treatment - drug therapy:

what does drug therapy aim to do?

what are low level of serotonin associated with?

Answer 13

aims to increase or decrease the levels of neurotransmitters in the Brian or their activity.

OCD

Question 14

treatment - drug therapy:
(SSRI’s)

what are ssri’s?

what releases serotonin and what absorbs it?

what happens naturally?

what does this mean in terms of ocd?

what do SSRI’s do to stop this?

Answer 14

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

pre-synaptic neurons release it and post-synaptic neurons absorb it to speed to the Boyd

naturally the pre-synaptic nearuon reabsorbs some serotonin after releasing it

bc the pre synaptic neutron naturally reabsorbs the serotonin, some one with the SERT gene has even less = OCD = low mood

acts as a shield to block the re-uptake of serotonin

Question 15

treatment - drug therapy:
(SSRI’s)

what is the typical dosage of fluoxetine (an SSRI)?

how long does it take to work?

what can be done if this dosage isnt working?

Answer 15

20mg

3-4 months of daily use

can be upped to 60mg

Question 16

treatment - drug therapy:

what are SSRI’s often used alongside?

what do the drugs do to the patient?

Answer 16

cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)

reduces emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression so they can engage more effectively with CBT

Question 17

treatment - drug therapy:
(alternatives to SSRI’s)

what are the 2 alternatives? what do they do?

Answer 17

1- tricyclics = type of antidepressant which have the same effect on the serotonin system as SSRI’s but have more severe side effects

2- SNRI’s = serotonin noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor are a second line of defence for patient show don’t respond to SSRI’s. SNRI’s increase levels of serotonin

Question 18

A03 - drug therapy:

❌ 2 weaknesses

Answer 18

❌ a limitation with drug treatment is the side effects attached to it. side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision, loss of sex drive. 1/100 become aggressive and have disruption is blood pressure and heart rhythm. such factors reduce effectiveness of the treatment as most patients stop taking medication. - costly

❌ theres evidence that drugs treatments are unreliable. SSRI’s have some controversy attached, some ppl believe evidence favouring drug treatments is biased bc they’re sponsored by drug companies whom may suppress unsupporting evidence of these rugs just ratio boost their own economic gain.

Question 19

A03 - drug therapy:

✅ 2 strengths

Answer 19

✅ drugs are cost -effective and non - disruptive. they’re cheap compared to psychological treatments and therefore has good value to the NHS. also, drugs are non- disruptive to lives and are easy to take whenever whereas therapy is more long winded and effort.

✅ drugs therapy is effective at taking OCD symptoms.. effectiveness is greatest when SSRI’s are combined with a psychological treatment (CBT). typically symptoms reduce for around 70% taking SSRI’s, the rest are helped y alternative drugs or CBT+drugs therefore drugs can help most patients with OCD.