Psychopathology - OCD Flashcards
OCD definition
A condition characterised by obsessions (cognitive) and/or compulsive behaviour (behavioural)
Give the behavioural characteristics of OCD
Repetitive compulsions - e.g. handwashing, counting, praying. People with OCD feel compelled to repeat these actions.
Compulsions reduce their sense of irrational anxiety or manage the anxiety produced by their irrational obsessions.
Avoidance - keep away from situations that trigger their OCD e.g. avoid emptying rubbish bins to avoid germs = interfere with regular life.
Give the emotional characteristics of OCD
Anxiety and stress from obsessive thoughts and when compulsions cannot be completed.
Accompanying depression = low mood and lack of enjoyment in activities accompanies anxiety.
Irrational guilt from minor issues and disgust directed both externally and internally.
Give the cognitive characteristics of OCD
Obsessive thoughts - vary from person to person but are always unpleasant e.g. germ contamination, paranoia about being burgled or family members getting hurt.
Cognitive coping strategies - praying, counting, meditating = may distract them from everyday tasks and make that person seem abnormal in society.
Insight into excessive anxiety - aware that obsessions and compulsions are irrational and unnecessary but cannot avoid them. They remain hypervigilant and anxious.
Genetic explanation for OCD - explain candidate genes + give an example.
These are genes that have been identified to create a vulnerability for OCD.
Some are involved in regulating the development of the serotonin and dopamine system e.g. 5HT1-D beta is implicated in the transport of serotonin across synapses.
Genetic explanation for OCD - explain how OCD is polygenic + researcher.
OCD is polygenic meaning it is caused by a combination of genetic variations that together significantly increase vulnerability.
Taylor 2013 found evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD.
Genetic explanation for OCD - how do genes explain the different types of OCD + define a keyword in your explanation?
One group of genes may cause OCD in one person but a different group of genes may cause the disorder in another person…it is aetiologically heterogeneous (the origins of OCD vary from one person to another)
Neural explanation for OCD - what is the role of serotonin in OCD?
Neurotransmitters are responsible for relaying info from one neuron to another. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is believed to help regulate mood. Low serotonin = normal transmission of mood-relevant info doesn’t take place = experience low moods. This may explain some cases of OCD.
Neural explanation for OCD - how does brain behaviour explain OCD?
OCD is often associated with impaired decision-making.
This is associated with abnormal functioning of the orbitofrontal cortex in the brain, which is responsible for logical thinking and decision-making.
There is also evidence that suggests the left parahippocampal gyrus, which is associated with processing unpleasant emotions, functions abnormally in OCD.
Evaluate the genetic explanations of OCD.
Strength: strong research support.
Nestadt et al. 2010 twin studies…68% of identical twins shared OCD vs 31% of non-identical twins.
Marini and Stebnicki 2012 family studies…you are 4x as likely to develop OCD if someone in your family has OCD, than someone without a family member with OCD.
Limitation: genes do create vulnerability, but environmental risk factors also play a part!
OCDs origin doesn’t appear to be entirely genetic and it seems that environmental risk factors can trigger or increase the risk of developing OCD. e.g. Cromer et al. 2007 found over half of OCD clients had experienced a traumatic event, more severe OCD correlated with greater or multiple traumas.
Evaluate the neural explanations of OCD.
Strength: supporting evidence.
Antidepressants that work purely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms suggesting serotonin is likely to be involved in OCD.
Limitation: no one unique neural system to OCD as people with OCD often also suffer from clinical depression…co-morbidity. This depression probably involves disruption of serotonin activity meaning serotonin may not be relevant to OCD symptoms and may just be a result of the accompanying depression.
What is the biological approach to treating OCD?
Drug therapy - aiming to increase or decrease levels or the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. For OCD, drug therapy works to increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
Actual name, what they do, dosage, form, time they take to work.
What are SSRIs?
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor are the standard medical treatment used to tackle OCD symptoms.
An antidepressant drug.
They prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin in the presynaptic nerve, increasing levels of serotonin in the synapse, compensating for whatever is wrong with the serotonin system in OCD.
A typical daily dosage of fluoxetine is 20 mg and are available as capsules or liquid. It takes 3-4 months of daily use for SSRIs to have much impact on OCD symptoms.
What other treatment are SSRIs combines with for OCD and why?
Drugs are often used alongside CBT, cognitive behaviour therapy, as drugs reduce the emotional symptoms of OCD so that people with OCD can engage more effectively with CBT. This all depends on what works for the individual though!
What are the alternatives to SSRIs?
If an SSRI isn’t effective after 3-4 months, dosage can be increased (e.g. up to 60 mg a day for fluoxetine)
Tricyclics are sometimes used, commonly clomipramine. It acts on various systems including the serotonin system where it has the same effect as SSRIs. However, it has more severe side-effects so is kept in reserve for people who do not respond to SSRIs.
SNRIs - Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors are also a second line of defence for those who don’t respond to SSRIs. SNRIs increase levels of serotonin as well as another neurotransmitter: noradrenaline.
