The current scoping review investigated the extent to which the thinking patterns important for mental health have been conceptualized as habits. Using systematic search criteria and nine explicit inclusion criteria, this review identified 20 articles and 24 empirical studies examining various mental habits, such as negative self-thinking, self-criticism, and worry.
Habits, which are cue-dependent automatic responses, have primarily been studied as behavioural responses. Habitual thinking has been proposed as one such process. Our thoughts impact our mental health and there is a distinction between thought content (what we think) and thought process (how we think).
