Abstract
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that is associated with significant functional impairment. While efficacious psychological and pharmacological treatments exist, many individuals do not receive these interventions but rather are treated with inappropriate therapies. Indeed, there are ways that nonevidence‐based treatments may worsen symptoms, contributing to continued disability. This article evaluates conceptual bases for existing treatments that may lead to harm when applied to OCD in adults. Harmful treatments include cognitive behavioral interventions not expressly tailored for OCD, misapplication of evidence‐based treatments for the disorder, as well as interventions that lack a basic experimental foundation to support their application. Future directions for better understanding factors that lead to worsening of obsessive–compulsive symptoms in this complex disorder are suggested.