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Biological approach to OCD

Biological approach to OCD

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Question 14

Study on OCD Therapeutic Interventions

A clinical psychologist conducted an investigation to compare the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Forty-five adult patients, all with a formal diagnosis of OCD, participated in the trial. At the start of the clinical trial, each participant's symptom severity was measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS).

The 45 participants were randomly assigned to one of three equal groups of 15:

  • Group A received a 12-week course of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
  • Group B underwent a 12-week course of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.
  • Group C was placed on a 12-week waiting list (receiving no active treatment during this period).

After 12 weeks, the Y-BOCS scores were re-assessed. The psychologist found that the mean symptom severity scores for both Group A and Group B had decreased significantly, while the mean score for Group C remained relatively unchanged.

Evaluate one of the treatments for OCD identified in the study above.

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Biological approach to OCD Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Biological approach to OCD

39 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Biological approach to OCD. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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