The Most Important Skill Set in Mental Health

55,000 studies reveal three pillars of psychological flexibility.

• • We analyzed 54,633 studies to learn what really helps people make a change.
  • The most common pathway of change was psychological flexibility and mindfulness skills.
  • Psychological flexibility is about greater awareness, openness, and values-based engagement in life.

Why does psychotherapy work? Until relatively recently, many scientists studying methods of improving mental and behavioral health have delayed answering that question. Instead, they argued, it’s better first to ask if a method works, and when we know that it does, then we can ask why.