Question

PLEASE WRITE IN APA FORMAT FOR TWO PAGES AND CITE SOURCES PLEASE

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder characterized by repetitive, intrusive, and distressing thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that the individual feels driven to perform in order to neutralize or alleviate the anxiety caused by the obsessions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). OCD affects approximately 1-2% of the general population and is associated with significant impairment in social, occupational, and personal functioning (Grant et al., 2014).


The case study of a 30-year-old woman experiencing long-standing fears of contamination provides an example of OCD. The individual in the case study reports intense discomfort with any dirt on herself or in her immediate environment, which triggers her compulsive cleaning rituals. She washes her hands and arms at least four or five times an hour and showers six or seven times a day, and thoroughly cleans her apartment at least twice a day. These cleaning rituals have severely restricted her life.


According to the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), OCD is diagnosed when the obsessions and/or compulsions are time-consuming, cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning, and are not due to the effects of a substance or medical condition. In this case, the individual's compulsive cleaning rituals are clearly time-consuming and have significantly restricted her life.


The theories behind OCD suggest that it may be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurobiological factors (Ruscio et al., 2010). Recent research also suggests that OCD may involve dysfunction in certain brain regions and circuits, including the frontal cortex and basal ganglia, which are involved in the regulation of thoughts and behaviors (Milad & Rauch, 2012).


In conclusion, OCD is a debilitating mental disorder that can significantly impair an individual's daily functioning. The case study discussed in this report provides an example of OCD characterized by contamination fears and cleaning rituals. Further research is needed to better understand the causes and effective treatments for this disorder.

Answer 1

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).

Grant, J. E., Odlaug, B. L., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2014). Obsessive–compulsive disorder. The Lancet, 384(9938), 495-505.

Milad, M. R., & Rauch, S. L. (2012). Obsessive-compulsive disorder: beyond segregated cortico-striatal pathways. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(1), 43-51.

Ruscio, A. M., Stein, D. J., Chiu, W. T., & Kessler, R. C. (2010). The epidemiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Molecular psychiatry, 15(1), 53-63.