WASHINGTON ADVENTIST

UNIVERSITY

Assignment 8

Abnormal Psychology

Final Project and Presentation

Lorena sakisa

Dr. Hunter

Psych - 360

January 6th, 2023

Lorena sakisa

Dr. Hunter

Psych - 360

January 6th, 2023

Abnormal Psychology Final Project and Presentation

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Some individuals require specific things to be aligned in a certain way within their homes and

throughout their lives. They may need to have their house cleaned to a very exact standard or

may have extremely organized and rigorous schedules for themselves that they feel compelled to

follow. The reason why I decided to write about the obsessive-compulsive disorder is because I

have a Cousin that acts this way but I really never understood her behavior until I took Abnormal

Psych class. What I learned is that these types of behaviors and actions may seem different or not

normal to some, but to others, it definitely feels like their brain will not allow them to function

unless these behaviors and actions are performed and completed in a very certain way. Recently,

the DSM-5 has changed the name for this mental illness from obsessive-compulsive disorder to

"Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders." Obsessive-compulsive disorder is any behavior

with acts of obsessions and compulsions. The DSM-5 defines obsessions as, "recurrent and

persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced as intrusive and unwanted."On the

other hand, the DSM-5 defines compulsions as, "repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an

individual feelsdriven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be

applied rigidly."There are a plethora of factors that are believed to contribute to the influence of

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. My essay will explain the biological as well as environmental

influential factors of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I will also provide a reflection and faith

perspective on the research given regarding the influential factors of Obsessive-Compulsive

Disorder.

Biological/Genetic Factors of OCD

There are so many factors that can influence Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Biological and

genetic factors have been found to influence Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The first of many

of these influences is the lack of serotonin. According to Sinopoli et. al (2017), OCD is most

commonly and frequently treated with drugs such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

(SSRIs), because these types of drugs act specifically on the serotonin system. The realization

and discovery of the effectiveness of serotonin system treatment for OCD are what sparked many

researchers to take an interest in the biological causes of OCD (Sinopoli et. al, 2017).

Studies involving sets of twins have been extremely productive when studying OCD to display

comparisons in the brain of OCD vs non-OCD. An additional biological influence that has been

discovered, with the assistance of twin studies, is the role of dopamine. Very much like

serotonin, dopamine is yet another neurotransmitter that holds the ability to play a significant

role in mental health. A study conducted by Alonso et. al (2007), showed an interest in the role

of neurotransmitters and whether or not they could make someone susceptible to OCD. This

study concluded that there is a “significant association between OCD and a five-marker

protective composite haplotype” (Alonso et. al, 2007).

Non-Genetic/Environmental Factors of OCD

In addition to the influential role of genetic factors, naturalistic and environmental factors have

been found to be influential on OCD, as well. A 2015 study by Vidal-Ribas et. al (2015), looked
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for a correlation between life events and experiences that were more stressful and

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In their study, they concluded that there was quite a significant

correlation between some stressful life events and OCD. “Because this association remained

significant when genetic factors, shared environmental factors and co-occurring depression was

controlled for, we conclude that these SLEs could potentially play a modest (about 3% of the

variance) but significant role in the severity of OCS” (Vidal-Ribas et. al, 2015). This study paired

the genetic side of stressful life events and experiences with the naturalistic environmental aspect

to create a more reliable and credible study.

Another study (Grisham, Anderson, & Sachdev, 2008) expressed an interest in familial vs

nonfamilial OCD. The familial vs non-familial ideology means that researchers will observe a

patient’s family in an attempt to gain a genotype perspective; non-familial will observe how the

patient may be affected by external factors. The study infers that the life events that may cause

OCD possess very similar properties as a military soldier who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder. This study also goes on to suggest that “traumatic events among a sample of

individuals diagnosed with OCD and found that the presence of one or more traumatic life events

was associated with increased OCD symptom severity” (Grisham, Anderson, & Sachdev, 2008).

The study, in its entirety, is interested in how the combination of genetic and environmental

factors can influence the formation of OCD in a person.

Reflection and Faith Integration

Ultimately, of all the studies that were researched, OCD is still widely unknown as far as

causation. In my own opinion, I tend to think that the study conducted by Grisham, Anderson, &

Sachdev is really taking the best course of action by viewing and taking into consideration the

combination of genetic as well as naturalistic and environmental factors and the way in which
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they influence the formation of OCD in an individual. I believe that the ultimate discoveries

among researchers will be that the truest causes of OCD will be shown to be a combination of

both genetic and environmental factors.

As devout Christians/Adventists, the most important way in which we need to show support for

those individuals who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is to show them love

unconditionally and consistently point out the positive behaviors that they display. Jeremiah 6:16

says, “Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the

good way is; and walk in it and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

God has a master plan for everyone, and this scripture is a reminder that we do not always know

the path that God has planned for us. He is our ultimate map for our life, and we must be in sync

and possess a holy connection with Him in order to understand the plan. For some individuals,

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is just merely a hiccup in the plans that God has set for us to get

to our ultimate and final destination. My most inspiring phrase, when it comes to Christianity is,

“God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.” We must know and truly believe that

God will never give us anything that we cannot handle on our own as our own person.
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References

Alonso, P., Gratacòs, M., Menchón, J. M., Saiz-Ruiz, J., Segalàs, C., Baca-García, E., …

Estivill, X. (2008). Extensive genotyping of the BDNF and NTRK2 genes define protective

haplotypes against obsessive-compulsive disorder. Biological Psychiatry, 63(6), 619–628.

https://doi-org.libproxy.calbaptist.edu/10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.06.020

DSM-5 Child Mental Disorder Classification - DSM-5 Changes - NCBI Bookshelf.

Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/

Grisham, J. R., Anderson, T. M., & Sachdev, P. S. (2008). Genetic and environmental

influences on obsessive-compulsive disorder. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical

Neuroscience, 258(2), 107–116.

https://doi-org.libproxy.calbaptist.edu/10.1007/s00406-007-0789-0

Holy Bible. (2011). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Sinopoli, V. M., Burton, C. L., Kronenberg, S., & Arnold, P. D. (2017). A review of the

role of serotonin system genes in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Neuroscience and

Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 372–381.

https://doi-org.libproxy.calbaptist.edu/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.029