OCD: One non biological treatment (ERP) Flashcards
What does ERP stand for?
Exposure and Response Prevention
What is the main idea of ERP?
Obsessions and compulsions are acquired through conditioning, so recovery should involve unlearning behaviours.
Describe the ‘Exposure’ part of ERP
Individual is repeatedly presented with the feared stimulus until anxiety subsides.
Exposures may be at first imagined and later experienced in vivo (e.g. actually touching dirty objects).
Exposures may move gradually from least to most threatening (just like SD)
What is the response prevention part?
At the same time as the exposure, the client is prevented from engaging in the usual compulsive response.
The client should learn that obsessions that previously created anxiety no longer produce this response.
How is ERP carried out by the clinician?
Clinician identifies target symptoms using the Y-BOCS and client ranks these from least to most anxiety provoking.
ERP involves 13-20 weekly sessions.
Once a person has made progress, they are encouraged to continue applying ERP techniques in new situations.
Monthly booster sessions can be added to prevent relapse.
Who provided credibility for the effectiveness of ERP?
Fisher and Wells (2005)
They used a standardised procedure (Jacobson method) to compare methods of therapy.
This study showed that ERP is the most effective treatment of them all with 50-60% reduction in all OCD symptoms.
What might be better than ERP alone to treat OCD?
Drugs and ERP
Foa et al (2005) found a combination of an antidepressant and ERP was more effective than either alone.
What is a weakness of ERP?
It targets the symptoms and not the cause.
Therefore a combination of ERP + Drugs + CBT would be the best option for treatment as the CBT would target underlying triggers.
What is a further weakness of ERP?
It requires effort.
Success of ERP depends on the client’s effort, e.g. exposing themselves to their anxieties and consciously resisting obsessions can take time and determination and can make a person very distressed.
What is the application value of ERP?
It can be used as a form of self-help.
Self-directed ERP is reasonably effective for mild OCD.
How can ERP be linked to issues and debates?
How psychological knowledge is used in society.
ERP may simply target symptoms but it does improve the well-being of people with OCD and may help them contribute more fully to society.
