The obsessive-compulsive spectrums.

Because of the paucity of research on the OCSDs, it seems premature to cluster these putative disorders together in DSM, to combine delusional and nondelusional variants of OCSDs, or to classify OCSDs dimensionally. Further investigation of the OC spectrums is clearly needed. These constructs are powerful and useful heuristics with potential validity and clinical utility. The putative OC spectrum and its subspectrums have some apparent advantages over current conceptualizations of these disorders. They may prove more consistent with empirical evidence and ultimately may be shown to better reflect these disorders' pathogenesis. Importantly, they also may be more useful and valid guides for clinical practice.