State of the Science in Behavior Therapy: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

Abstract

The scope and burdens of mental health challenges in today’s world are staggering. Among the available psychological treatment approaches, cognitive and behavioral therapies, and their combinations, have garnered the strongest evidence base. That said, progress has not always been linear and most of the work is still ahead of us. Against this backdrop, Behavior Therapy has launched its State of the Science series—an exciting new journal feature offering a curated set of authoritative reviews of research in major areas of relevance to applied cognitive-behavioral science, written by distinguished scientists in each area and peer-reviewed. The vision for the Behavior Therapy State of the Science series is to launch with an initial set of articles that make up this special journal issue, with continued publication of additional State of the Science articles in future journal issues. The current article launches the State of the Science series, providing a brief summary of progress in cognitive and behavioral practice and related areas, as well as various missteps and harmful legacies that remind us that the state of the science for research focused on mental health and the alleviation of human suffering is always in flux and evolving. The 16 inaugural reviews in this special issue are then introduced one by one. Collectively, these State of the Science reviews take stock of what has been learned across key areas in the field, highlight critical knowledge gaps in need of research, and provide expert guidance for improving the effectiveness and reach of care, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations.