Strength + Counterpoint 1

One strength of drug treatment for OCD is supporting evidence for its…

Effectiveness

There is clear evidence to show that SRIs reduce __________ and improve the ___________ for people with OCD

Symptom severity

Quality of life

For example, Soomro et al (2008) reviewed 17 studies that compared SRIs to…

Placebo in the treatment of OCD

All 17 studies showed significantly ________________ than for placebo conditions

Better outcomes for SRIs

Typically symptoms reduce for around 70% of people taking SSRIs. For the remaining 30% most can be helped by either…

Alternatives drugs or combinations of drugs and psychological therapies

This means that drugs appear to be helpful for most people with OCD BUT there is evidence to suggest that even if drug treatments are helpful for most people with OCD, they may…

Not be the most effective treatments available

Skapinakis et al (2016) carried out a systematic review of outcome studies and concluded that both _________________ (such as systematic desensitisation) were _________ than SRIs in the treatment of OCD

This means that drugs may not be the optimum treatment for OCD

Cognitive and behaviour

More effective