The biological approach to treating OCD

Question 1

describe drug therapy

Answer 1

drug therapy for mental disorders aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or increase/decrease their activity

Question 2

describe SSRIs

Answer 2

SSRIs work on the serotonin system in the brain
serotonin is released by the presynaptic neurons and travels across a synapse
the neurotransmitter chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neuron where it is broken down and reused
SSRIs increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and thus continue to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
this compensates for issues with the serotonin system in OCD
dosage varies according to which SSRI is prescribed, a typical dosage is 20mg (fluoxetine), may be increased if necessary
it takes 3-4 months of daily use for notable impact on symptoms

Question 3

describe the combination of SSRIs with other treatments

Answer 3

SSRIs are often used alongside CBT
the drugs reduce a person’s emotional symptoms, meaning people can engage more effectively with the CBT

Question 4

describe alternatives to SSRIs

Answer 4

SSRIs can be combined with other drugs
people respond very differently to different drugs
tricyclics - acts on serotonin system, having the same effect as SSRIs, more severe side-effects so it is generally kept reserve for people who do not respond to SSRIs
SNRIs - increase levels of serotonin as well as a different neurotransmitter - noradrenaline, used as a second line of defence for people who don’t respond to SSRIs

Question 5

what is the evidence for the effectiveness of drug treatment (STRENGTH)

Answer 5

clear evidence to show that SSRIs reduce symptom severity and improve the quality of life for people with OCD
typically symptoms reduce for around 70% of people taking SSRIs
therefore, drugs appear to be helpful for most people with OCD

Question 6

why might drug treatments not be the most effective treatment available for OCD (COUNTERPOINT)

Answer 6

skapinakis et al. (2016) carried out a systematic review of outcome studies and concluded that both cognitive and behavioural therapies were more effective than SSRIs in the treatment of OCD
therefore, drugs may not be the optimum treatment for OCD

Question 7

how is drug treatment cost-effective and non-disruptive (STRENGTH)

Answer 7

cheap compared to psychological treatments
using drugs to treat OCD is a good value for public health systems
SSRIs do not disrupt routines in personal lives
therefore, drug treatments are popular with OCD patients and their doctors

Question 8

how do drug treatments for OCD have potentially serious side-effects (LIMITATION)

Answer 8

a small minority will get no benefit to SSRIs
side-effects such as indigestion, blurred vision and a loss of sex drive
this can be temporary but distressing for people
tricyclics have even more severe side effects
therefore, some people may have a reduced quality of life as a result of taking drugs