unit 4 psychology ocd quesstions and answers rated
Written for
Unit 4 psychology OCD
All documents for this subject (1)
Seller
Follow
Angellucious
Reviews received
Content preview
Unit 4 psychology OCD Quesstions and
Answers Rated 100%
Clinical characteristics of OCD Answer- OCD is characterised by two main symptoms; obsessions and
compulsions.
Obsessions = persistent and reoccurring thoughts, images and beliefs that enter the mind uninvited and that
cannot be removed. The content of these obsessions is various and can usually be grouped into one of the
following 6 categories; contamination, aggression, orderliness, illness, sex and religion.
Compulsions = the irresistible urge to carry out the repetitive acts ritualistically in order to ward off some
imagined consequence. Compulsions can take 4 different forms; checking rituals, cleaning rituals, counting
rituals and dressing rituals.
Additional symptoms of OCD include the obsessions/compulsions are time consuming, can cause distress and
interfere with the ability to conduct everyday working and social functioning.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO1 Answer- A valid diagnosis of OCD should be representative of what the
patient is suffering from and should lead to an effective treatment.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO1 (Reason 1) Answer- OCD might be normal behaviour:
Around 75% if adults have fleeting of unwanted thoughts and display mild checking behaviour. When OCD
becomes so overwhelming that it begins to interfere with everyday life, then it can be considered abnormal. A
valid diagnosis requires evidence of persistence and dysfunction, otherwise there is a danger of over-
medicalising behaviour.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO1 (Reason 2) Answer- There are different types of OCD:
Some psychologists find it difficult to give a valid diagnosis of OCD because it is not a single disorder but a
spectrum of different origins.
, Jakes suggests that there are sub-groups of patients who differ in their compulsions. Some have more checking
rituals and some have more cleaning rituals. It is important to recognise these subgroups as they may have
different origins and require different treatment.
BUT, Rasmussen and Eisen found that certain factors are common to all cases of OCD: overwhelming anxiety,
fear of something terrible happening and the belief that the compulsion provides relief from the obsession.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO1 (Reason 3) Answer- OCD can occur alongside other disorders:
OCD occurs alongside other disorders. Studies suggest that 67% of people with OCD also have depression. It is
therefore sometimes difficult to separate the two disorders.
Steketee found that many OCD sufferers also suffer from personality disorders. Therefore, we cannot assume
that all OCD suffers are the same and doctors need to look at individual cases and provide individual courses of
treatment.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO1 (Reason 4) Answer- Maybe OCD should not be classed as an anxiety
disorder:
OCD is currently classed as an anxiety disorder however some researchers suggest this is not valid and there
are distinct differences between OCD and other anxiety disorders. For example, the obsessive thoughts of OCD
are often irrational and very different to more real life worries of generalised anxiety. Therefore, it might be
more valid to place OCD alongside the OCD spectrum disorders such as Tourette's.
Validity of diagnosis for OCD: AO2 points Answer- Scales that test for OCD must be tested for their validity.
There are two tests carried out to test the validity of a diagnostic scale for OCD: whether the scale shows
concurrent validity (compared to existing scales) and whether the test shows accurately any changes in the
symptom levels.
Study 1: Goodman Answer- Focused on the validity of the Yale-Brown scale in three groups of patients with
OCD.
The total Yale-Brown score was significantly correlated with two of the three independent measures of OCD
and weakly correlated with measures of depression and anxiety in patients with OCD with minimal secondary
depressive symptoms.
This shows that it is concurrently valid, to some extent, and also provides evidence to support OCD is comorbid
with other disorders such as depression.
Also, results from a previously reported placebo controlled trial of OCD inhibitor on OCD patients showed the
Yale-Brown scale was sensitive to drug induced changes and that reductions in the Yale-Brown scores
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Angellucious. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.