In spite of advances in the understanding and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), for most patients some symptoms persist even after therapeutic intervention. Another large subgroup does not seek treatment at all, particularly due to shame or fear of stigma. The treatment gap in OCD is large and self-help is increasingly seen as a low-threshold form of intervention for individuals with minor symptoms or who are currently treatment-reluctant. Our review summarizes the expanding but still small literature on self-help and Internet interventions for OCD and provides advice on how to conduct (Internet) studies on self-help. Strategies to deal with methodological problems that notoriously plague Internet research are discussed.
