AO3 Evaluations - Biological Treatment for OCD
A strength of drug therapies is that it is effective at tackling OCD
symptoms. This means that it is capable of improving the quality of life for
OCD patients. Soomro et al. in 2009 reviewed studies that compared
SSRIs to placebos in the treatment of OCD, and concluded that all 17
studies showed significantly better results for the SSRIs than for placebo
conditions. SSRIs are most effective when they are combined with a
psychological treatment, such as CBT. This therefore means that the
drugs can help most of patients who have OCD.
Another strength of drug therapies is that they are cost-effective and non-
disruptive. Using drugs to treat OCD is therefore good value for public
health systems, like the NHS. Compared to psychological therapies, SSRIs
are also non-disruptive to patients lives. You can simply take drugs until
your symptoms decline and not engage with the work of psychological
therapies. Many doctors and patients like these drugs for the same
reasons, therefore showing that drug therapies have high praise, and are
not costly for the use in public health systems.
A limitation of drug therapies is that it can have side-effects. For most
people, the use of drugs is largely effective; a significant amount of
people receive no benefit from them, and may suffer certain side effects
like weight gain, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction and a loss of memory.
Coming off drug therapies are also a slow process in which the dosage
has to be gradually reduced through stages of six months - this poses the
risk of a relapse. Because of these factors, it typically reduces the
effectiveness because people tend to stop taking the medication, showing
that people may be put off by using them.
A strength of drug therapies is that it is effective at tackling OCD
symptoms. This means that it is capable of improving the quality of life for
OCD patients. Soomro et al. in 2009 reviewed studies that compared
SSRIs to placebos in the treatment of OCD, and concluded that all 17
studies showed significantly better results for the SSRIs than for placebo
conditions. SSRIs are most effective when they are combined with a
psychological treatment, such as CBT. This therefore means that the
drugs can help most of patients who have OCD.
Another strength of drug therapies is that they are cost-effective and non-
disruptive. Using drugs to treat OCD is therefore good value for public
health systems, like the NHS. Compared to psychological therapies, SSRIs
are also non-disruptive to patients lives. You can simply take drugs until
your symptoms decline and not engage with the work of psychological
therapies. Many doctors and patients like these drugs for the same
reasons, therefore showing that drug therapies have high praise, and are
not costly for the use in public health systems.
A limitation of drug therapies is that it can have side-effects. For most
people, the use of drugs is largely effective; a significant amount of
people receive no benefit from them, and may suffer certain side effects
like weight gain, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction and a loss of memory.
Coming off drug therapies are also a slow process in which the dosage
has to be gradually reduced through stages of six months - this poses the
risk of a relapse. Because of these factors, it typically reduces the
effectiveness because people tend to stop taking the medication, showing
that people may be put off by using them.
