1. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
4.1.4 Psychopathology
The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD

2. OCD…what is it? Obsession: Compulsion:
Stuck in Doorway –make a note of behaviours that could be experienced as well as thoughts that a sufferer may have
Obsession:
a persistent thought, idea, impulse or image that experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive and causes anxiety
Compulsion:
a repetitive and rigid behaviour or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety

3. DSM-5 categories of OCD
The DSM recognises OCD and a range of related disorders.
OCD – characterised by obsessions and/or compulsions
TRICHOTILLOMANIA - compulsive hair pulling.
HOARDING DISORDER – the compulsive gathering of possessions and the inability to part with anything regardless of its value
EXCORIATION DISORDER - compulsive skin picking.
What these have in common is repetitive behaviour accompanied by obsessive thinking.

4. DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder – this is a classification system.
The DSM describes the main symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder as:
recurrent obsessions and compulsions
recognition by the individual that the obsessions and compulsions are excessive and/or unreasonable
that the person is distressed or impaired, and daily life is disrupted by the obsessions and compulsions

5. Signs and symptoms of an OCD sufferer
Behavioural: how a person acts (behaves) which typically leads to the carrying out of repetitive actions to reduce anxiety.
This often leads to avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety.
Emotional: how a person feels when experiencing the anxiety which accompanies the obsessions/compulsions.
OCD may feel depressed and/or other negative emotions
Cognitive: how a person thinks and OCD sufferers are usually plagued with obsessive thoughts. They also tend to develop cognitive strategies
There are obviously physical symptoms also

6. The OCD cycle
The diagram below shows how obsessions and compulsions are connected in an OCD cycle.

7. ‘Apply it’ Jaz Read the example on handout
Identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects
can you put this into the cycle?

8. Jaz
Jaz's behavioural symptoms include washing her hands, cleaning her house and making visitors shower.
Her emotional symptom is anxiety, with brief relief resulting from her compulsive behaviour.
Her cognitive symptoms include recurring thoughts of disease and images of dirt.
She has good insight that her anxiety and behaviour is irrational.

9. The characteristics of OCD
Emotional
Behavioural
Cognitive
What do you THINK that makes you want to carry out a repetitive action?
How do you FEEL when you experience your obsessive thought?
How do you BEHAVE when you experience your obsessive thought?

10. Some facts…
About 1 in every 50 people suffer from OCD at some point in their lives
It is equally common in males and females.
In the UK, OCD is the fourth most common psychological disorder.
It has a typical onset from late adolescence to early adulthood.
Many people who have this disorder do not seek help and in fact learn to hide their condition
For many sufferers, however their lives are so taken up with rituals that they are unable to function adequately or hold down a regular job.
Depression, anxiety, phobias and then OCD

11. Exam Questions Outline the emotional characteristics of OCD. (3 marks)
Outline the behavioural characteristics of OCD (3 marks)
Outline the cognitive characteristics of OCD. (3 marks)

12. TASKS / HOMEWORK:
Ensure pgs. are complete in your psychopathology pack
Pre reading: Behavioural explanation of Phobias