Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Mar;17(2):572-589.
doi: 10.1177/1745691621995752. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

Applying the Science of Habit Formation to Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Mental Illness

Allison G Harvey  1 , Catherine A Callaway  1 , Garret G Zieve  1 , Nicole B Gumport  1 , Courtney C Armstrong  1
Affiliations

Applying the Science of Habit Formation to Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments for Mental Illness

Allison G Harvey et al. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Habits affect nearly every aspect of our physical and mental health. Although the science of habit formation has long been of interest to psychological scientists across disciplines, we propose that applications to clinical psychological science have been insufficiently explored. In particular, evidence-based psychological treatments (EBPTs) are interventions targeting psychological processes that cause and/or maintain mental illness and that have been developed and evaluated scientifically. An implicit goal of EBPTs is to disrupt unwanted habits and develop desired habits. However, there has been insufficient attention given to habit-formation principles, theories, and measures in the development and delivery of EBTPs. Herein we consider whether outcomes following an EBPT would greatly improve if the basic science of habit formation were more fully leveraged. We distill six ingredients that are central to habit formation and demonstrate how these ingredients are relevant to EBPTs. We highlight practice points and an agenda for future research. We propose that there is an urgent need for research to guide the application of the science of habit formation and disruption to the complex "real-life" habits that are the essence of EBPTs.

Keywords: cognitive behavior therapy (CBT); evidence-based psychological treatments (EBPTs); habit disruption; habit formation; learning theory.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Theory of Habit Formation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adriaanse MA, Gollwitzer PM, De Ridder DT, De Wit JB, & Kroese FM (2011). Breaking habits with implementation intentions: A test of underlying processes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(4), 502–513. - PubMed
    1. Adriaanse MA, van Oosten JM, de Ridder DT, de Wit JB, & Evers C (2011). Planning what not to eat: Ironic effects of implementation intentions negating unhealthy habits. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(1), 69–81. - PubMed
    1. Adriaanse MA, & Verhoeven A (2018). Breaking habits using implementation intentions. In Verplanken B (Ed.), The Psychology of Habit: Theory, mechanisms, change and context. Switzerland: Springer.
    1. Anshel MH, Brinthaupt TM, & Kang M (2010). The disconnected values model improves mental well-being and fitness in an employee wellness program. Behavioral Medicine, 36(4), 113–122. - PubMed
    1. Anshel MH, & Kang M (2007). Effect of an intervention on replacing negative habits with positive routines for improving full engagement at work: A test of the disconnected values model. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 59(2), 110.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources