Psychopathology 11-13 (OCD)

Question 1

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 1

1. Compulsions- repetitive actions that can hinder the person’s ability to perform everyday functions. Compulsive behaviours reduce anxiety that is created by obsessions.
2. Avoidance- reduce their anxiety by avoiding situations that might trigger it.

Question 2

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 2

1. High anxiety- feelings of embarrassment and shame as they know their behaviour is excessive. Strong feelings of distress, as they are aware they can’t control their compulsive behaviour.
2. Disgust- feeling of disgust may be directed against something external like dirt, germs or them self.

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 3

1. Obsessions- recurrent, intrusive, irrational thoughts that are perceived as inappropriate or forbidden. Uncontrollable and cause anxiety.
2. Awareness that behaviour is irrational- Understand their behaviours are irrational but they cannot consciously control or stop them.
3. Catastrophic thinking- are scared that something terrible will happen if they do not carry out their compulsion.

Question 4

What is the biological approach to OCD?

Answer 4

The biological approach to explaining OCD assumes that OCD is caused by genetic and biochemical factors.

Question 5

Explain the genetic explanations to OCD.

Answer 5

OCD has been classed as polygenic- many genes are responsible for causing it. These genes are known as candidate genes.
The 2 main genes associated with causing OCD are:
- the COMT gene.
- the SERT gene.

Question 6

What is the COMT gene and how is it related to OCD?

Answer 6

COMT gene:

• regulates the production of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which in high levels is associated with OCD.
• One variation of the COMT gene results in higher levels of dopamine.
• this variation was found to be more common in people have OCD.

Question 7

What is the SERT gene and how is related to OCD?

Answer 7

• the gene affects the transportation of serotonin, causing lower levels of serotonin.
• Low levels or serotonin have been linked to OCD (and depression).

Question 8

Strengths of the genetic explanations?

Answer 8

Research support:
1. Nestadt found that people who had a first-degree relative who had OCD were 5 times more likely to get the disorder.

2. Billett found from a meta-analysis of 14 twin studies that OCD is twice as likely to be concordant in identical twins compared to non identical twins.

Question 9

Weakness of the genetics explanations for OCD.

Answer 9

The concordance rate for OCD in identical twins is not 100%. Therefore OCD cannot be caused entirely by genetic factors and so other environmental factors play a part.

Question 10

Explain the neural explanations for OCD.

Answer 10

dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters that affect mood.

OCD sufferers have high levels of dopamine. High dopamine levels have also been linked to hyperactivity in the basal ganglia in the brain. This causes repetitive motor functions (eg. Compulsions).

Serotonin plays a key role in operating the caudate nucleus im the basal ganglia. It seems that low levels or serotonin cause the caudate nucleus to malfunction. In particular result in obsessions.

Question 11

Strength and weakness of neural explanations to OCD.

Answer 11

+ Anti-depressant drugs increase serotonin levels in OCD patients, and this has lead to a reduction in OCD symptoms. Therefore this shows low levels or serotonin could be a cause.

• neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin might not necessarily cause OCD but instead low levels or serotonin and high levels or dopamine may be a symptom of OCD.

Question 12

What is drug therapy for OCD?

Answer 12

The biological approach uses medication to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters, or the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain.
The general purpose is to decrease anxiety, lower arousal, and lower blood pressure.

Question 13

What are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, how do they work?

Answer 13

• antidepressant drugs used ti treat OCD.
• SSRIs (prozac/fluoxetine) work on the serotonin system in the brain.
• after serotonin conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron to the post synaptic neuron, it is reabsorbed, broken down, and reused.
• SSRIs prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin and so increase the levels of it in the synapse.
• the effect of this should be to reduce anxiety.

Question 14

Advantages of using SSRIs as a treatment for OCD?

Answer 14

+ Soomro reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebo drugs for treating OCD and found that all studies showed SSRIs were more effective, especially when they were combined with cognitive behavioural therapy(CBT).

+ 70% of patients have experienced a decline in OCD symptoms when taking SSRIs.

Question 15

Disadvantage of using SSRIs?

Answer 15

• terrible side effects which might mean the ICD patient might stop taking the medication.
  Side effects are temporary but include indigestion, blurred vision, and loss of sex drive.

Question 16

What are benzodiazepines and how do they work?

Answer 16

Anti-anxiety drugs used ti treat OCD.
-BZs slow down the activity of the central nervous system by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA. This neurotransmitter has an inhibitory effect on the neurons.
- GABA does this by reacting with special sites called GABA receptors on the outside of neurons.
When GABA does this it opens a channel that increases the flow of chloride ions into the neuron.
Chloride ions make it harder for the neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters, this slowing down neural activity and making a person feel more relaxed.

Question 17

Strength and weakness of using BZ drugs to treat OCD?

Answer 17

• • BZ drugs can begin to reduce anxiety levels and OCD symptoms in a short period of time, especially compared to treatments like CBT. Therefore patient experiences immediate relief.
• if used in the long-term, unwanted side affects can appear such as drowsiness, depression and unpredictable interactions with alcohol.
• Ashton found that long term users of BZ became very dependent on the drug and a sudden withdrawal leads to a return of high levels of anxiety. Their body also gets used to the drug and therefore they require larger and larger doses to reduce their OCD symptoms as time goes on.