Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders (Intro Psych Tutorial #230)

Summary

In this video, Michael Corayer explores obsessive-compulsive and related disorders as outlined in the DSM-5. He discusses OCD's hallmark symptoms: obsessions and compulsions, affecting roughly 2% of the population equally across genders and often linked with depression. The video also covers hoarding disorder, characterized by an inability to discard possessions and leading to cluttered, potentially unsafe environments, with a prevalence of 2-6% and a strong association with mood disorders. Lastly, body dysmorphic disorder is introduced, featuring a preoccupation with imagined physical flaws, impacting approximately 2.4% of individuals, more commonly in females, and frequently comorbid with depression.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions and compulsions, with obsessions being recurrent, unwanted thoughts and compulsions being repetitive behaviors.
• 🌐 Common obsessions in OCD include fears of contamination, harm to others, and the need for symmetry and balance.
• 🧼 OCD's prevalence is estimated at about 2%, affecting males and females equally, and often co-occurs with depression.
• 🤔 Patients with OCD are aware that their compulsions are irrational but feel compelled to perform them to reduce anxiety.
• 🔁 The cycle of OCD involves intrusive thoughts leading to anxiety, which is temporarily relieved by performing compulsions, only for the anxiety to return.
• 🏚 Hoarding disorder, previously a subtype of OCD, is now recognized as a separate disorder in DSM-5, characterized by difficulty parting with possessions, even if they are worthless.
• 🐭 Animal hoarding is a specific type of hoarding disorder where individuals take in pets they cannot properly care for, leading to poor living conditions for the animals.
• 📈 The prevalence of hoarding disorder is about 2 to 6%, with a higher incidence in older populations and often co-occurring with mood or anxiety disorders.
• 🪞 Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) involves a preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's appearance that are often minor or unnoticeable to others.
• 🪞 Individuals with BDD may exhibit behaviors such as constant mirror-checking, excessive grooming, or seeking reassurance about their perceived flaws.
• 🏥 Only a small percentage (7-8%) of those seeking cosmetic surgery meet the criteria for BDD, suggesting that most people undergoing such procedures do not have this disorder.

Q & A

What are the two main characteristic symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

The two main characteristic symptoms of OCD are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions refer to recurrent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts, while compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors that the patient engages in.

What is the estimated prevalence of OCD according to the DSM-5?

The estimated prevalence of OCD in the DSM-5 is about 2%, and it is roughly equal for males and females.

How do individuals with OCD typically perceive their compulsions?

Individuals with OCD often know that their compulsions are irrational. They may rationally understand that their behaviors are not necessary, but they engage in them because it reduces their anxiety.

What is the relationship between OCD and depression?

OCD is often comorbid with depression, meaning that individuals with OCD may also experience symptoms of depression.

What is the difference between normal anxiety and the intrusive thoughts in OCD?

Normal anxiety, such as feeling the need to wash hands after touching something dirty, is a temporary response to a specific event. In OCD, the intrusive thoughts persist and recur even after the individual has taken action to alleviate the anxiety, leading to repetitive behaviors.

What is hoarding disorder, and how is it different from OCD?

Hoarding disorder is characterized by a difficulty in parting with personal possessions, even if they are worthless, and it can lead to clutter that impairs social and occupational functioning. It is different from OCD as it was given its own disorder label in the DSM-5 and is not considered a type of OCD.

What is excessive acquisition, and how is it related to hoarding disorder?

Excessive acquisition is a behavior where individuals with hoarding disorder acquire items that they do not have space for, leading to clutter and an inability to part with possessions. It is often seen in about 80 to 90% of people with hoarding disorder.

What is the estimated prevalence of hoarding disorder, and is it more common in any specific age group?

The estimated prevalence of hoarding disorder is about 2 to 6%, and it is more common in older populations, being three times more common in people aged 55 to 94.

What is body dysmorphic disorder, and how does it manifest?

Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by a preoccupation with perceived flaws or defects in one's physical appearance that are often slight or not noticeable to others. It can manifest as intrusive thoughts about the perceived flaw, repetitive behaviors such as constant mirror checking, and distorted thoughts that exaggerate the flaw.

How common is body dysmorphic disorder among individuals seeking cosmetic surgery?

Only about 7-8% of people who undergo cosmetic surgery actually meet the diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphic disorder, suggesting that the majority of those seeking cosmetic surgery do not have this disorder.

What is the estimated prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in the United States, and is there a gender difference?

The estimated prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder in the United States is about 2.4%, and it is slightly more common in females than males.