Outline and evaluate the biological approach to treating OCD. [16 marks]

AO1

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

  • block receptors on the post-synaptic neuron, prevent neurotransmitter from leaving the synaptic cleft, increases their concentration, regulates neural firing

  • SSRIs make adherence to talking therapies easier, often delivered in combination

• Tricyclics

  • also operate on serotonin, but induce greater side effects, only used when SSRIs are ineffective

• Serotonin Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors

  • act on increasing adrenaline alongside serotonin

AO3

• Soomro (2009) found SSRIs alleviated symptoms in 70% of OCD sufferers, therefore an effective treatment, but not quite universal

• side effects, though SSRIs produce fewer than tricyclics, there is still a risk of symptoms such as sexual dysfunction, indigestion and blurred vision

  • these are often short-term, long-term benefit of the drugs perhaps outweighs these early cons

• easy to take and cost-efficient, taken in small daily capsules, non-disruptive to everyday life

• supporting studies for drug treatments have often been funded by pharmaceutical companies, may be unreliable, biased evidence…

• OCD may follow trauma, so surely a talking therapy that revisits that is more suitable in order to address the root of the disorder