Self-Help or Hype? Comments on Psychology's Failure to Advance Self-Care

This article demonstrates that self-help programs are experiencing explosive growth; that psychologists are to be credited with a substantial body of research dating back to the 1970s; that this research demonstrates the potential of self-help programs; that some psychologists have failed to heed the results of studies by rushing to market with exaggerated product claims; and that the American Psychological Association has itself set a poor example and failed to advance clear standards. These points are not intended as a criticism of self-help. Rather, they serve as an observation of psychology's failure to advance self-care. Psychologists are encouraged to meet the challenge that self-care presents.