THEORY & STUDY
Strengths - Biological Approach to Treating OCD:
1. Effectiveness:
- Many OCD sufferers respond well to SSRIs. SOOMRO et al (2009) reviewed 17 clinical trials which had compared SSRIs to a placebo. They found that, in all 17 studies, symptoms reduced significantly more with the SSRIs than for those who were given the placebo.
- Some studies have found tricyclic antidepressants to be superior to SSRIs. JENIKE et al (1990) found a larger reduction in OCD symptoms with clomipramine compared to fuoxetine.
- Drugs are a cost-effective treatment for OCD, being cheaper than psychological alternatives. They are also easy and simple to take, making them a very accessible form of treatment for the majority of patients.
Limitations - Biological Approach to Treating OCD:
1. Effectiveness:
- The greatest symptom reduction in these studies was for patients who were prescribed SSRIs alongside a psychological treatment, such as CBT. This suggests that while drugs are effective, psychological interventions should also play a role in treating OCD.
- Drug therapy is not an effective treatment for everyone: while 50-70% of OCD patients respond to SSRIs, 30-50% do not.
- Although symptoms are reduced, they are rarely totally eliminated, suggesting that drugs are not a complete cure for OCD.
- All drugs have side-effects, making them less appropriate for patients who suffer from these more severely. 1 in 10 users of clomipramine experience symptoms including headaches, fatigue, weight gain or erectile dysfunction. Side effects are less common with SSRIs, but can be enough to lead the patient to stop taking the drug treatment for OCD, as side effects are unpleasant and relapse occurs when drugs are stopped.
- Drugs may be less appropriate where OCD has a clear, psychological cause EG: trauma.