Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• The principle of "first, do no harm" (primum non nocere) is central to healthcare.
• Emerging evidence suggests some psychological treatments can cause harm, yet this issue has received limited attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate and update knowledge on psychotherapy deterioration effects.
• To identify methodological challenges in recognizing potentially harmful therapies (PHTs).
• To propose a provisional list of PHTs and discuss their implications for clinical science and practice.

Main Methods:

• Critical evaluation of existing literature on psychotherapy-induced harm.
• Analysis of methodological obstacles in identifying PHTs.
• Synthesis of findings to delineate future research directions.

Main Results:

• Several psychological treatments may cause harm to a significant number of individuals.
• Methodological difficulties hinder the identification of PHTs.
• A provisional list of PHTs is presented for consideration.

Conclusions:

• Prioritizing the identification of PHTs is crucial for safeguarding mental health consumers.
• Focusing on PHTs can bridge the scientist-practitioner gap and enhance patient safety.
• Research on PHTs may reveal cross-cutting mechanisms of therapeutic change.