Growth mindset intervention strengthens adolescent mental health

The mental health of young people is increasingly under pressure, partly due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers are therefore looking for effective ways to support adolescents in dealing with these challenges. A recent study by Lipsey et al. (2024) examined the effectiveness of a brief online growth mindset intervention targeted at high school students. This approach could not only help reduce depressive symptoms, but also strengthen the mental resilience of young people.

Background to the study

The increasing mental health problems, such as depression, among adolescents were an important reason for this research. A growth mindset , in which people believe that personality and emotions can develop, has previously been successfully used to improve school performance and motivation. The researchers wanted to investigate whether this approach could also be effective in improving the mental health of young people, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research

For this study, the researchers developed an intervention called “ Healthy Minds ”, an online program of 30-45 minutes. This program was designed to encourage a strong growth mindset and greater self-reliance. It focused on normalizing negative emotions, emphasizing that these emotions are not final, and that young people are capable of improving their emotional responses. Participants were randomly assigned to the “Healthy Minds” intervention or to a comparable control intervention that focused on sexual health.

The study involved 457 middle school students from 9th and 11th grades from four schools in a rural region of the southern United States. The participants were randomly assigned to the “Healthy Minds” intervention group or a control group. Before and after the intervention, the researchers measured changes in growth mindsets related to personality and emotions, self-efficacy, self-blame, avoidant coping, and depressive symptoms.

Results

The results of the study showed that participants in the “Healthy Minds” intervention, compared to the control group, showed significantly greater increases in growth mindsets of both personality and emotions. In addition, they reported a decrease in self-blame and avoidant coping behavior, as well as an improvement in self-efficacy. This suggests that the intervention was successful in strengthening mental resilience and reducing negative psychological factors that often contribute to depression.

Implications and reflection

► This study's findings indicate that brief, online interventions aimed at promoting a growth mindset may hold promise for improving adolescent mental health.

The decrease in self-blame and avoidant coping is particularly encouraging, as these factors are often associated with an increased risk of depression. The scalability and accessibility of the intervention make it a potentially valuable tool for schools and other youth settings. By helping adolescents develop a growth mindset, we may be able to improve not only their academic performance but also their overall well-being.