Term
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Definition
| Anxiety result from uncontrollable thoughts and feelings or urges to perform certain ritualised behaviour. It affects 2% of pop. |
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Term
| Clinical characteristics? |
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Definition
Obsessions are recurrent thoughts or images which do not feel voluntarily controlled.
Complusions are reptitive behaviours which the sufferer feels have to be performed ritualistically in order to reduce/avoid distress. |
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Term
Biological explanations:
Genetic factors? |
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Definition
Inherited genes, causes biochemical imbalance.
COMT enzyme -> affect dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters. |
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Term
| Research evidence of Genetic factors: |
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Definition
Nestadt - People with a 1st degree relative with OCD have a 5x greater risk of having the illness themselves at some time in their lives compared with the general pop.
Billet - 14 twin studies, MZ were on average 2x more likely to develop OCD if their twin had it. |
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Term
| Evaluation of genetic causes: |
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Definition
* Twin and family studies - methodologically unsound, genes/environment
* COMT gene sometimes appears in people without OCD |
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Term
Biochemical factors:
What do they suggest is the cause? |
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Definition
They believe OCD results from abnormal levels of particular neurotransmitters. Serotonin and dopamine.
Some receptors block serotonin. |
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Term
Biochemical:
Research evidence |
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Definition
| Pigott -> SSRI increase serotonin. Help re-uptake of serotonin. |
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Term
| Evaluation of biochemical factors: |
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Definition
+ve PET prove lower serotonin in OCD patients.
+ve high doses of dopamine given to animals produced stereotypical movements that resemble the compulsive behaviour found in OCD patients.
-ve 40% of OCD patients dont respond to drugs, therefore other neurotransmitters are involved.
-ve Only a correlation between serotonin and OCD, and do not show cause and effect.
-ve Drugs dont cure the problem, patients relapse after a few weeks off drugs |
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Term
Psychological:
* Behavioural |
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Definition
OCD is learnt. Classical and operant conditioning.
Compulsive ritual develop as a means of reducing anxiety (the anxiety reduction hypothesis) and re-establishing control over the obsessions.
Rituals are reinforced. |
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Term
| The Superstition hypothesis? |
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Definition
| Skinner and his superstitious pigeons, |
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Term
Psychological:
* Research Evidence in support |
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Definition
Rachman and Hodgson, compulsive acts relieves the anxiety associated with obsessional thoughts, then stopping then performing the rituals makes them more anxious.
Rachman developed this idea into Exposure and REsponse Protection Therapy |
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Term
| Evaluation of the Behavioural explanation |
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Definition
+ve 60% to 90% of adults benefited from ERP.
+ve Flooding and systematic desensitisation has helped.
+ve Can be used with the biological explanations.
-ve Not all patients are helped by ERP. |
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Term
Psychological:
*Psychodynamic explanation |
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Definition
| OCD arises when unacceptable wishes and impulses coming from the id are only partially repressed, which leads to anxiety. |
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