The biological approach to treating OCD Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is Drug therapy?
Treatment involving drugs
Aims to increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain or to increase/decrease their activity
What are SSRI’s?
Antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Works on serotonin system in the brain
Released by presynaptic neuron’s
Travels across a synapse
Chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neurone to postsynaptic neurone
Then reabsorbed by the presynaptic neurone where is broken down and reused.
Prevents the reabsorption and breakdown
SSRIs effectively increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and continue to simulate the postsynaptic neurone
This compensates for whatever is wrong with the serotonin system in ocd
What is the typical dosage of SSRIs?
Fluoxetine
20mg
May be increased
Capsules or liquid
3-4 months of daily use
What happens when combining SSRIs with other treatments?
Used alongside CBT
Drugs reduce persons emotional symptoms
People with OCD can engage more effectively with CBT
What is the alternative of Tricylics to SSRIs?
Acts on various systems
Severe side effects
Kept in reserve for people who do not respond to SSRIs
What is the alternative of SNRIs to SSRIs?
Different class of antidepressant drugs
Second line of defence for people who don’t respond to SSRIS
Increase levels of serotonin as well as another different neurotransmitter - noradrenaline
What is an evaluation of drug treatment for OCD?
Counterpoint for evidence of effectiveness
Some evidence to suggest even if drug treatments are helpful for most people with OCD
May not be most effective treatments available
Skapinakis et al
Carried out a systematic review of outcome studies
Concluded both cognitive and behaviour therapies were most effective than SSRIs in the treatment of OCD
Meaning that drugs may not be the optimum treatment for OCD
What is an evaluation of drug treatment for OCD?
Evidence of effectiveness
Evidence that SSRIs reduce symptom severity and improve quality of life
Soomro et al
17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebos
Showed significantly better outcomes for SSRIs than for the placebo conditions
Typically symptoms reduce for around 70% of people taking SSRIs
Remaining 30% most can be helped by either alternative drugs or combinations of drugs and psychological therapies
Meaning drugs appear to be helpful for most people with OCD
What is an evaluation of drug treatment for OCD?
Cost effective and non disruptive
Cheap compared to psychological treatments
Thousands of tablets or liquid doses can be manufactured in the time it takes to conduct one session of a psychological therapy
Good value for public health systems
Represents good use of limited funds
Non disruptive
Can simply take drugs until symptoms decline
Meaning drugs are popular with many people with oCD and their doctors
What is an evaluation of drug treatment for OCD?
Serious side effects
Small minority will get no benefit
Indigestion, blurred vision, loss of sex drive
Usually temporary
Distressing for people
Meaning some people have reduced quality of life as a result of taking drugs
May stop taking them altogether, meaning the drugs cease to be effective
