Abstract
Mindfulness-based approaches are being used more frequently in the treatment of common mental health conditions. Mindfulness techniques have recently been applied to individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This review aims to provide a critical appraisal of the conceptual and empirical status of mindfulness techniques for OCD. A literature search was conducted using PsychlNFO, ISI web of science and PsychARTICLES. The papers reviewed consisted of a conceptual account of mindfulness for OCD and four empirical studies investigating mindfulness techniques in the treatment of OCD. Conceptually, mindfulness may improve symptoms through altering beliefs about the meaning of intrusive thoughts. The preliminary empirical evidence illustrates that mindfulness techniques show promise in the treatment of OCD. However, further more hypothesis-driven research is required to strengthen its conceptual and empirical status.