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Cited by 138Behavioral Health and InterventionsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesBehavioral and Psychological Studies

Does forming implementation intentions help people with mental health problems to achieve goals? A meta‐analysis of experimental studies with clinical and analogue samples

Toli, Agoro, Webb, Thomas L., Hardy, Gillian E.·2016·British Journal of Clinical Psychology
DOI 10.1111/bjc.12086
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Abstract

Objective: People struggle to act on the goals that they set themselves, and this gap between intention and action is likely to be exacerbated by mental health problems. Evidence suggests that forming specific if‐then plans (or ‘implementation intentions’) can promote goal attainment and a number of studies have applied such techniques in clinical contexts. However, to date, the extent to which planning can help people with mental health problems has not been systematically examined. Method: The present review used meta‐analysis to investigate the effect of if‐then planning on goal attainment among people with a DSM ‐ IV / ICD ‐10 diagnosis (i.e., clinical samples) or scores above a relevant cut‐off on clinical measures (i.e., analogue samples). In total, 29 experimental studies, from 18 records, met the inclusion criteria. Results: Excluding one outlying (very large) effect, forming implementation intentions had a large‐sized effect on goal attainment ( d + = 0.99, k = 28, N = 1,636). Implementation intentions proved effective across different mental health problems and goals, and in studies with different methodological approaches. Conclusions: Taken together, the findings suggest that forming implementation intentions can be a useful strategy for helping people with mental health problems to achieve various goals and might be usefully integrated into existing treatment approaches. However, further studies are needed addressing a wider range of mental health problems. Practitioner points: This meta‐analysis suggests that prompting people with mental health problems to form if‐then plans (known as ‘implementation intentions’) specifying when, where, and how they will achieve their goals can be beneficial. The findings proved robust across a range of methodologies, samples, and focal goals, suggesting that forming implementation intentions can help people with a range of mental health problems to achieve a range of different goals. We provide guidance to researchers and practitioners in how to promote the formation of implementation intentions.

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Authors
Toli, A., Webb, T. L., & Hardy, G. E.
Affiliations
University of Sheffield (GB)
Corresponding author
Webb, Thomas L.
ORCID
Venue
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-05-12
Volume
55
Issue
1
Pages
69-90
ISSN
  • 0144-6657 (ISSN-L)
  • 2044-8260
DOI
10.1111/bjc.12086
OpenAlex
W1538005095
Cited by
137
References
124
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
0.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • British Journal of Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
Keywords
implementation intentions, if-then planning, goal achievement, mental illness, intention-behavior gap, goal setting, clinical samples, treatment integration
MeSH terms
Achievement, Mental Disorders, Goals, Humans, Mental Health, Intention

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