Treatments For OCD (Psychopathology) Flashcards
What is the aim of drug therapies
To alter neurotransmitter levels in the brain to increase or decrease their activity impacting behaviour
What are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Antidepressant drugs - capsule or liquid form
Taken daily for 3-4 months
Can be taken combined with other treatments like CBT to reduce symptoms
How do SSRIs work
-Increase level of serotonin in the synapse
-Do this by preventing serotonin in the synapse being reabsorbed and broke down back into the presynaptic neurone
-Work to stimulate the postsynaptic neurone
What are the 3 alternatives to SSRIs
Tricylclics, SNRIs + anti-anxiety drugs
What are tricyclics
Older type of antidepressant - works the same way as SSRI but have more severe symptoms
What are SNRIs
More recent treatment - work by increasing two neurotransmitters in the brain - serotonin and noradrenaline
What are anti-anxiety drugs (valium, diazapam)
Work by enhancing action of the neurotransmitter GABA which tells neurones to slow down and stop firing
-Quieting influence on brain to reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts
Strengths of drug treatments
*Research Support** - Soomro reviewed 18 studies which compared SSRIs to placebo treatments - all studies showed SSRis had a 70% better reduction of OCD symptoms compared to placebo - shows drug treatments are effective
less disruptive - other treatments like CBT involve more engagement which is not possible oft everyone wheres drug treatments are as simple as taking a pill which will reduce symptoms
Weaknesses of drug treatments
Side effects - costs may outweigh benefits of taking drugs e.g indigestion + blurred vision + addiction - may put people off from trying it
cause or mask the symptons? - if the cause is not solely due to abnormal neurochemistry, what happens when the patient stop taking drug treatment - will they relapse because symptoms have just been masked and not actually resolved
