Role of genetic factors is supported by family studies
Type: Strength
Study: Nestadt et al. (2000)
- Found people with family members with OCD had a 5x greater risk of having OCD themselves at some point compared to the general population
- However families typically share the same environments and genes
- Meaning that environmental factors could also play a part in the development of OCD
Research support from brain scanning research
Type: Strength
Study: Menzies et al. (2007)
- People with OCD and their very close relatives have reduced grey matter in key brain regions, including the orbitofrontal frontal cortex
- Supports the view that neural differences are inherited and may lead to OCD in certain people
- Studies suggest that brain scans could be used in the future as a way of detecting people’s risk of developing OCD