Psychological Therapies

Question 1

What is the aim of ERP?

Answer 1

To stop people carrying out compulsive behaviours and give them future coping mechanisms

Question 2

Who first developed ERP?

Answer 2

Myer

Question 3

What is the process of ERP?

Answer 3

The client is repeatedly exposed to objects or situations that cause anxiety and encouraged the avoid normal safety rituals. Relaxation techniques are taught to help them deal with current and future situations

Question 4

What are some of the different techniques used by the therapist?

Answer 4

Verbal persuasion
Continuos monitoring
Encouragement of alternative behaviour
Homework tasks

Question 5

What do therapists not do?

Answer 5

They are not forceful or condescending as this is unhelpful

Question 6

Why do family members sometimes go to ERP sessions?

Answer 6

Because they might unwittingly collude the clashes rituals. By them attending they can learn mechanisms to prevent them from enforcing the behaviour

Question 7

Evaluation…

Success rate

Answer 7

Hollan found 55%-85% of clients significantly improve and the effects appear to be long lasting

Question 8

How found 55-85% of club what’s significant improve?

Answer 8

Hollan et al

Question 9

What did Hollan et al discover?

Answer 9

55-85% of patients significantly improve and this appears to be long lasting

Question 10

Who is ERP not very successful for?

Answer 10

People with obsessional thoughts without accompanying rituals

Question 11

How many people show no improvement?

Answer 11

25%

Question 12

Who found ERP is not effective for 25% of people?

Answer 12

Foe et al

Question 13

What were Foe et als findings?

Answer 13

25% of clients show no improvement

Question 14

Evaluation…

Effects of ERP of the brain

Answer 14

Saxena et al found after 4 weeks of intensive ERP the clients showed significant improvements as PET scans revealed there was improved brain functioning as there was a decrease in thalamus activity

Question 15

What did Saxena et al find?

Answer 15

Saxena et al found after 4 weeks of intensive ERP the clients showed significant improvements as PET scans revealed there was improved brain functioning as there was a decrease in thalamus activity

Question 16

Evaluation…

Speed of therapy

Answer 16

It works within 3-8 weeks

However, patients with compulsions find it very difficult so often drop out

Question 17

What are the advantages of group therapy?

Answer 17

It is more readily available
Reduces the stress on the nhs
It creates a support system for clients
It can help reduce feelings of isolation that accompany OCD

Question 18

What is group therapy?

Answer 18

Psychological therapies such as ERP to be administered in a group format

Question 19

What study is related to group therapy?

Answer 19

Marcelo et al

Question 20

What did Marcelo et al find?

Answer 20

That 44% of those in the group therapy group had reduced symptoms compared to 28% in the drug therapy group
8 in group therapy had complete remission of OCD symptoms compared to 1 in drug therapy

Question 21

What can be concluded from Marcelo et als findings?

Answer 21

Group therapy is more effective than drug therapy

Question 22

How can Marcelo et als results be criticised?

Answer 22

It only looks at mono-symptomatic patients, so the results may not represent more complex patients. Most OCD patients have depression as well and 1-1 would not be suitable for such clients. It also doesn’t give an indication of the results are long lasting because they were tested immediately after 12 weeks.

Question 23

What was Marcelo et als procedure?

Answer 23

For 12 weeks two groups of patients took either antidepressants or went to group therapy

Question 24

What does ERP stand for?

Answer 24

Exposure and response therapy