Biological Treatment of OCD

What type of treatment is used to treat OCD?

Drug therapy

What specific drugs are used for OCD?

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

How do SSRIs work?

They prevent reabsorption of serotonin by the pre-synaptic neuron, increasing levels of serotonin in the synapse allowing it to continue stimulating the post-synaptic neuron.

What can drugs be used alongside and why?

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - the drugs reduce emotional symptoms allowing for more engagement with CBT.

What alternatives are there to SSRIs?

Tricyclics - have the same effects on serotonin as SSRIs but more side effects, so are used as a reserve

SNRIs - work the same as SSRIs on serotonin but also increase noradrenaline, and used as a reserve

Strengths

- Evidence of Effectiveness - Soomro reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebos and found significantly better outcomes for SSRIs than placebo. 70% of people show a symptom reduce on SSRIs

- Cost effective - cheap, accessable and easy to produce, as well as being more effiecent and less disruptive to life to take than multiple sessions of CBT

Limitations

- Counterpoint - Not most effective as Skapinakis found that CBT was more effective

- Serious Side effects - blurred vision, indigestion, with tricyclics having more serious effects like erectile dysfunction and weight gain