Treating OCD

Question 1

what do drug therapies for treating OCD aim to do

Answer 1

increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or to increase or decrease their activity

Question 2

what do most drug therapies for OCD do

Answer 2

increase levels of serotonin in the brain

Question 3

what is an SSRI

Answer 3

standard medical treatment which is an antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication

Question 4

SNRIs

Answer 4

• if SSRIs dont work
• SNRIs are another anti-depressant drug
• they increase serotonin levels and noradrenaline levels

Question 5

information about SSRIs

Answer 5

• take 3-4 months to reduce symptoms
• if it doesnt work, increase dosage from 20mg to 60mg
• ## can be taken as liquid medicine or capsule form

Question 6

evaluation points for treating OCD

Answer 6

• weakness of appropriateness from SSRI users getting no benefit
• weakness of effectiveness from evidence favouring drug treatments being biased
• strength of appropriateness from being cheap
• weakness of effectiveness from not being long-lasting

Question 7

weakness of appropriateness of treatment of OCD from SSRI users getting no benefit

Answer 7

• patients have side effects- insomnia, indigestion, nausea, headaches etc.
• suggests that treatment isnt appropriate for all patients and may do more harm than good so should be prescribed with caution
• side effects may cause people to stop taking medication which makes them not effective

Question 8

weakness of effectiveness of treatment of OCD from evidence favouring drug treatments being biased

Answer 8

• some psychologists believe evidence favouring drug treatments is biased because research is sponsored by drug companies who dont report all of their evidence
• e.g. less positive results may be less likely to be reported as drug companies wont profit
• therefore drug therapies may be less effective than we were led to believe by research

Question 9

strength of appropriateness of treatments of OCD from being cheap

Answer 9

• drug therapies are cheap compared to psychological treatments
• therefore good value for public health system like NHS
• SSRIs are less disruptive to patients lives as they dont have to engage with hard work of therapy
• which is why doctors and patients like drug therapies and therefore they should be used to do so

Question 10

weakness of effectiveness of treatments of OCD from drug treatments not being long-lasting

Answer 10

• some psychologists suggested drug treatments arent a long lasting cure
• patients often relapse within a few weeks if medication is stopped
• drugs reduce anxiety to a normal lifestyle level however they dont change cognitions or behaviours
• therefore not effective as a long term treatment
• because they dont change the cognitions, implies that biology may not be the sole cause of OCD which is why biological treatments alone cant be fully effective