Psychopathology- OCD

Question 1

What is OCD?

Answer 1

A condition characterised by and/or compulsive behaviour

Question 2

What is the cycle of OCD?

Answer 2

Obsessive thought, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, temporary relief,

Question 3

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 3

Compulsions, avoidance

Question 4

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 4

Anxiety/distress, accompanying depression, guilt and disgust

Question 5

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 5

Obsessive thoughts, cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions (disgust, excessive hand washing), insight into excessive anxiety

Question 6

What is the diathesis stress model?

Answer 6

Diathesis- genetic vulnerability
Environmental stresser- goes through trauma, development of disorder is triggered.

Question 7

What are the genetic explanations for OCD?

Answer 7

Lewis found that 37% of ocd patients had parents with ocd, and 21% had siblings. Diathesis stress.

Question 8

What are candidate genes?

Answer 8

Range of genes which create vulnerability to developing OCD

Question 9

What is an example of an OCD candidate gene?

Answer 9

COMT gene- associated with regulation of dopamine, mutation meaning higher levels could cause OCD.

Question 10

What does it mean that “OCD is polygenic”?

Answer 10

Not caused by just one gene, Taylor (2013) found that there could be up to 230 involved.

Question 11

What is a strength of the biological approach to explaining OCD?

Answer 11

Supporting evidence.
Lewis- 37% patients had parents with OCD, 21% with siblings.
High internal validity

Question 12

What is a weakness of the biological approach to explaining OCD?

Answer 12

No 100% concordance rate.
No MZ twin study able to establish 100% concordance suggesting there are other factors, not only biological, contributing to OCD.
Reductionist.

Question 13

Explain neurochemisty and neurotransmitters as a neural explanation for OCD

Answer 13

Serotonin plays a part- low levels =mood disorders.
Dopamine- high levels associated with compulsive behaviours in OCD

Question 14

Explain neuroanatomy as a neural explanation for OCD

Answer 14

Basal ganglia- brain structure involved in coordination. Damage can cause OCD symptoms.
Orbitofrontal cortex- heightened activity can cause OCD symptoms, mostly compulsions.

Question 15

What is a strength of neural explanations for OCD?

Answer 15

Supporting evidence
Brains of OCD patients are structured and function differently to others. Increased activity.

Question 16

What is a weakness of neural explanations of OCD?

Answer 16

Ignores other factors.
Some psychologists suggest OCD may be learnt through CC and maintained through OC- behavioural.
Reductionist

Question 17

How is drug therapy used to treat OCD?

Answer 17

Aims to increase/ decrease levels of neurotransmitters.

Question 18

How do SSRIs work?

Answer 18

Block the reuptake of serotonin into nerve cells, allowing more serotonin to remain in the synaptic gap and enhancing communication between nerve cells.

Question 19

What are benzodiazepines?

Answer 19

Range of of anti- anxiety drugs e.g. diazepam

Question 20

How do benzodiazepines work?

Answer 20

Enhancing action of neurotransmitter “GABA”. Tells neurones in brain to stop firing. General inhibitory influence and reduces anxiety.

Question 21

What is a strength of the biological approach to treating OCD?

Answer 21

Cost effective in comparison to psychological treatments
E.g. CBT. Drs prefer, beneficial for healthcare service providers.
High external validity

Question 22

What is a weakness of the biological approach to treating OCD?

Answer 22

Great deal of contradictory research.
Symptoms have sometimes been made worse- exact function of neurotransmitters in development of OCD is not understood- drugs only show partial alleviation of symptoms.
Low internal validity