Biological approach to treating OCD

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biological treatments work on the assumption that OCD is caused by neurochemical imbalances in the brain, and therefore work to readdress these imbalances.

antidepressant drugs and anti-anxiety drugs are commonly used in the treatment of OCD

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selective serotonin reuptake inhibiotrs SSRIS are the preffered biological treatment for OCD. SSRIs increase the level of serotonin available in the synapse by preventing it form being reabsorbed into the sending cell.

this increases the level of serotonin in the synapse which in turn improves the concentration of the brain chemical receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron intensifying the stimulation on the receiving nerve.

consequently, SSRIs work to improve mood and reduce anxiety experienced by paitents with OCD

AO1 - Benzodiazophines

work by enhancing the action of the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA tells neuron’s in the brain to ‘slow down’ and ‘stop firing’

some neurons have GABA receptor sites at the synapse and when GABA locks onto one of these, the flow of chloride ions into the neuron is increased.

the chloride ions make it more difficult for the receiving neuron to be stimulated further, thus slowing down the nervous system. This means that BZs reduce a relaxing effect and consequently reduce anxiety which is experienced as a result of obsessive thoughts common in OCD

AO3 - strength of biological treatments of OCD - research support of their effectiveness

Randomised drug trials compare the effectiveness of SSRIs with a placebo.

Soomro et al 2008 conducted a review of research examining the effectiveness of SSRIs and found that they were significantly more effective than placebos in the treatment of OCD, across 17 different trials. This supports the use of bio treatments, especially SSRIS for OCD.

however, studies such as this are criticised for only conducting the short term effectiveness of the drug treatments with long term effects still to be investigated empirically. The biological explanation follows a nomothetic approach which suggests the same treatment for all people suffering from OCD, without considering individual differences. Some psychologists suggest that other treatments are better at providing long term relief for sufferers of OCD and therefore cognitive therapies should be used instead of biological ones.

AO3 - advantage of cost effectiveness

drug therapies, such as SSRIS and BZs are relatively cost effective in comparison to psychologcial treatments, like CBT. Consequently, many doctors prefer the use of drugs to psychological treatments as they are a more cost effective solution for treating OCD, which is beneficial for health service providers.

In addiiton, psychological treatments like CBT require a patient to be motivated whereas drugs are non-disruptive to everyday life and can be simply taken until symptoms subside. As a result, this means that drug treatments are likely to be more sycessfl for paitents who can’t be treated as efficiently due to lower motivation and to be able to complete intense psychological treatments.

AO3 - Limitation of prescribing drug treatments for OCD - side effects

Although evidence suggests that SSRIs are effective in treating OCD, some patinas experience mild side effects like indigestion, while other might experience more serious side effects like hallucinations, erection problems and raised blood pressure.

BZs are renowned for being highly addictive and can also caused increased aggression and long term memory impairments. As a result, BZs are reccomended for short term treatment only of up to 4 weeks according to Ashton 1997

consequently, side effects diminish the effectiveness of drug treatments, as patients will often stop taking medication if they experience negative side effects.