Clinical psychologyLesson 4 of 8 in the course Psychological Disorders

OCD and Related Disorders: Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Learning Processes

5 flashcards · 4 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 4 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders involve intrusive, distressing thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors that become intense enough to disrupt daily life. This lesson introduces obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder, and hoarding disorder, with an emphasis on how to distinguish everyday habits and worries from clinically significant symptoms.

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What is an obsession?
An obsession is a persistent, intrusive, unwanted thought, image, fear, sensation, or urge that is unpleasant or distressing and difficult to suppress.
What is a compulsion?
A compulsion is a repetitive behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform, commonly to reduce distress or prevent a feared event.
How can ordinary repetition differ from an OCD compulsion?
Ordinary repetition may be practical and proportionate to a situation. An OCD compulsion is typically driven by distressing obsessions, may be excessive or unrealistic, and can interfere with daily life.
What defines body dysmorphic disorder?
It is a distressing preoccupation with a perceived flaw in physical appearance that is nonexistent or barely noticeable to others, often accompanied by repetitive checking, concealment, comparison, or related acts.
What defines hoarding disorder?
It involves persistent difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their actual value, leading to excessive accumulation that can make living areas difficult or impossible to use.

Quiz questions

  1. Which description best characterizes an obsession in OCD?Answer: An intrusive mental event that is persistent, unwanted, and distressing.
  2. What is a common function of a compulsion in OCD?Answer: To reduce distress or try to prevent a feared event.
  3. What is the central concern in body dysmorphic disorder?Answer: Preoccupation with a perceived appearance flaw that is nonexistent or slight to others.
  4. What do family and twin studies suggest about OCD?Answer: OCD has a moderate genetic contribution, but genes do not determine every case.

Based on Psychology 2e by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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