What is a mechanism?

One of the key goals of AIM is to facilitate a greater understanding of the mechanisms that underpin mental health.

A mechanism, in the context of mental health, is a process that can drive a difficulty or problem. This could be for example, being unable to control negative thoughts about an upcoming event, or something that has happened in the past, or it could be a behaviour, such as avoiding situations where you have to interact with other people.

Mechanisms fuel the symptoms of mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. 

Transdiagnostic mechanisms

Research has found that some mechanisms underpin multiple mental health difficulties. These are called transdiagnostic mechanisms.

Avoiding thinking about an event, situation, or problem by consciously telling yourself not to think about it, for example, is associated with anxiety, pain disorders, and depression. 

Benefits of understanding transdiagnostic mechanisms

A greater understanding of transdiagnostic mechanisms and the role they play in mental health can have a number of benefits including:

• the design of new more targeted treatments and interventions
• the identification of key components in existing treatments and interventions
• allow clinicians to match a problem with a particular mechanism
• the creation of a more individualised and personalised treatment plan
• allow interventions to include components common to multiple difficulties.