OCD - Psychopathology Flashcards
What is OCD?
OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by DSM-V as a disorder where the patient shows repetitive and obsessive thinking.
What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?
- Compulsive behaviours
- Hindrance in everyday functioning
- Social impairment
- Repetitive
- Avoidance
What are the compulsive behaviours due to OCD?
Performed to reduce anxiety, are repetitive and unconcealed. Can include mental acts and they feel like they must perform these actions otherwise something dreadful might happen.
What is hindrance of everyday functioning due to OCD like?
Having obsessive or inappropriate ideas that create anxiety and leads to compulsions, seriously hindering the ability to perform everyday functions.
What is avoidance due to OCD like?
Sufferers attempt to reduce their anxiety by avoiding situations that trigger it.
What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?
- Anxiety and distress
- Accompanying depression
- Guilt and disgust
What causes anxiety and distress due to OCD?
Caused by obsessions and compulsions, leading to embarrassment and shame due to awareness of their excessive nature.
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?
- Obsessions
- Recognised as self-generated
- Realisation of inappropriateness
- Attention bias
What are obsessions due to OCD?
Recurrent intrusive thoughts or impulses that are inappropriate or forbidden, which may be frightening or embarrassing.
What are the biological explanations of OCD?
Genetic and Neural explanations.
How do people often get OCD?
It is an inherited condition, indicating a genetic predisposition.
How do psychologists often study OCD?
Using family or twin studies.
How is OCD polygenic?
One single gene is not responsible for the disorder.
What did Taylor (2013) find about OCD?
Identified up to 230 genes being responsible for OCD, further suggesting OCD is polygenic.
What are the genes responsible for OCD?
- The COMT gene
- The SERT gene
What does the COMT gene do?
Regulates production of dopamine; high levels can cause OCD as it’s responsible for drive, motivation, and aggression.
What does the SERT gene do?
Affects transportation of serotonin, causing lower levels, leading to low moods.
Who conducted research relating to the SERT gene?
Ozaki (2003).
What did Ozaki (2003) find?
6 out of 7 family members who had OCD had a mutation of the SERT gene, causing low levels of serotonin to be produced.
What are the strengths of the genetic explanation of OCD?
- Nestadt (2000) supports genetic explanation
- Billett (1998) supports
What did Nestadt (2000) find?
People who had a first degree relative with OCD were five times more likely to also get the illness.
What did Billett (1998) find?
Meta-analysis of 14 twin studies showed OCD is twice more likely to be concordant in identical twins rather than non-identical twins.
What are the weaknesses of the genetic explanation of OCD?
- Concordance rate for OCD isn’t 100%
- Complex and polygenic
- Contradicted by behavioural approach and two-process model
- Diathesis stress model
Why does the polygenic nature of OCD show a disadvantage of the genetic explanation?
Genetically linked to other illnesses, making the genetic cause for OCD complex and possibly related to other illnesses.
How does the behavioural approach and two-process model contradict the genetic explanation for OCD?
OCD can be learnt via classical and operant conditioning, gaining support in explaining the cause of OCD.
How does the Diathesis stress model contradict the genetic explanation for OCD?
Caused by a combination of genes and an environmental trigger, indicating genes alone cannot be the only cause.
Who researched genetics and OCD?
Beekman and Cath (2005).
What did Beekman and Cath (2005) find in children?
OCD is inherited via genes with genetic influence ranging from 45-65%.
What did Beekman and Cath (2005) find in adults?
OCD is inherited via genes with genetic influence ranging from 27-47%.
What did Beekman and Cath (2005) conclude?
OCD is transmitted genetically, more apparent in children than adults.
What are the disadvantages of Beekman and Cath (2005)?
- Majority of twin studies not in controlled conditions
- Gene mapping not looked at
What are the advantages of Beekman and Cath (2005)?
- Studied a large sample for population validity
- Studied adults and children for better representation.
What are the neural explanations of OCD?
Neurotransmitters - Dopamine, Serotonin - Neuroanatomy.
What is dopamine’s effect on OCD?
Dopamine may induce compulsive and repetitive behaviour, found from animal studies.
What levels of dopamine do OCD sufferers have?
High levels causing overactivity in the Basal ganglia.
What is serotonin’s effect on OCD?
Low serotonin may cause depressive symptoms and obsessive thoughts.
What levels of serotonin do OCD sufferers have?
Low levels of serotonin in the frontal lobes, operating the caudate nucleus.
What are the advantages of the neural explanation for OCD?
- Research support
- Ciccerone (2000)
- Menzies (2007)
What is the overall research support for the neural explanation of OCD?
Anti-depressant drugs increase serotonin levels in OCD patients, leading to a reduction of symptoms.
What did Ciccerone (2000) find?
Giving OCD patients low doses of Risperidone helped lower dopamine levels and alleviate some symptoms.
What did Menzies (2007) find?
Studied MRI scans in OCD patients and their immediate family, finding reduced grey matter in key brain regions.
What are the disadvantages of the neural explanation for OCD?
- Neurotransmitter may be an effect instead of a cause
- OCD co-morbid with depression
- Role of dopamine questioned.
What did Jenike and Rauch suggest about the neuroanatomy of OCD?
OCD may be caused by a virus that causes brain damage, leading to short-term memory issues and compulsive behaviours.
What is the role of the Basal ganglia in OCD?
Overactive and malfunctions, responsible for voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit learning, eye movements, cognition, and emotion.
What drugs are used to reduce OCD symptoms?
SSRI, SNRI, and Benzodiazepines (BZ).
What are SSRI drugs for treating OCD?
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, including Prozac and Fluoxetine, stabilise mood, emotions, and memory over 12-16 weeks.
What are the strengths of SSRI?
- Supporting evidence from Soomro (2009) as combined with CBT
- Relatively effective for 70%
- Cost-effective compared to therapy.
What are the weaknesses of SSRI?
- Not effective for all patients
- Side effects like indigestion and low sex drive
- Koran (2007) criticises use of drugs as CBT should be first.
What are Benzodiazepines for OCD?
Valium and Xanax, which reduce anxiety and control neurotransmitters, increasing GABA.
What is the aim of Benzodiazepines?
To reduce blood pressure and heart rate, increasing GABA to make the person less anxious.
What do benzodiazepines do?
BZ binds to the GABA receptor of the post-synaptic neurone, making the person calmer but decreasing serotonin.
What are the advantages of Benzodiazepines?
- Effective at reducing anxiety and OCD symptoms
- Work quickly and efficiently
- Used for short periods with minimal side effects.
What are the disadvantages of Benzodiazepines?
- Long-term use can cause unwanted side effects like drowsiness and depression
- Ashton (1997) and Stewart (2005) found issues with dependency and cognitive impairment.
What did Ashton (1997) find?
Long-term use causes dependency, and withdrawal leads to anxiety.
What did Stewart (2005) find?
Long-term use causes impairment in speed and processing of visual learning.
