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Mental Health Prevention and Promotion—A Narrative Review

Associated data.

Extant literature has established the effectiveness of various mental health promotion and prevention strategies, including novel interventions. However, comprehensive literature encompassing all these aspects and challenges and opportunities in implementing such interventions in different settings is still lacking. Therefore, in the current review, we aimed to synthesize existing literature on various mental health promotion and prevention interventions and their effectiveness. Additionally, we intend to highlight various novel approaches to mental health care and their implications across different resource settings and provide future directions. The review highlights the (1) concept of preventive psychiatry, including various mental health promotions and prevention approaches, (2) current level of evidence of various mental health preventive interventions, including the novel interventions, and (3) challenges and opportunities in implementing concepts of preventive psychiatry and related interventions across the settings. Although preventive psychiatry is a well-known concept, it is a poorly utilized public health strategy to address the population's mental health needs. It has wide-ranging implications for the wellbeing of society and individuals, including those suffering from chronic medical problems. The researchers and policymakers are increasingly realizing the potential of preventive psychiatry; however, its implementation is poor in low-resource settings. Utilizing novel interventions, such as mobile-and-internet-based interventions and blended and stepped-care models of care can address the vast mental health need of the population. Additionally, it provides mental health services in a less-stigmatizing and easily accessible, and flexible manner. Furthermore, employing decision support systems/algorithms for patient management and personalized care and utilizing the digital platform for the non-specialists' training in mental health care are valuable additions to the existing mental health support system. However, more research concerning this is required worldwide, especially in the low-and-middle-income countries.

Introduction

Mental disorder has been recognized as a significant public health concern and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, particularly with the loss of productive years of the sufferer's life ( 1 ). The Global Burden of Disease report (2019) highlights an increase, from around 80 million to over 125 million, in the worldwide number of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) attributable to mental disorders. With this surge, mental disorders have moved into the top 10 significant causes of DALYs worldwide over the last three decades ( 2 ). Furthermore, this data does not include substance use disorders (SUDs), which, if included, would increase the estimated burden manifolds. Moreover, if the caregiver-related burden is accounted for, this figure would be much higher. Individual, social, cultural, political, and economic issues are critical mental wellbeing determinants. An increasing burden of mental diseases can, in turn, contribute to deterioration in physical health and poorer social and economic growth of a country ( 3 ). Mental health expenditure is roughly 3–4% of their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) in developed regions of the world; however, the figure is abysmally low in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) ( 4 ). Untreated mental health and behavioral problems in childhood and adolescents, in particular, have profound long-term social and economic adverse consequences, including increased contact with the criminal justice system, lower employment rate and lesser wages among those employed, and interpersonal difficulties ( 5 – 8 ).

Need for Mental Health (MH) Prevention

Longitudinal studies suggest that individuals with a lower level of positive wellbeing are more likely to acquire mental illness ( 9 ). Conversely, factors that promote positive wellbeing and resilience among individuals are critical in preventing mental illnesses and better outcomes among those with mental illness ( 10 , 11 ). For example, in patients with depressive disorders, higher premorbid resilience is associated with earlier responses ( 12 ). On the contrary, patients with bipolar affective- and recurrent depressive disorders who have a lower premorbid quality of life are at higher risk of relapses ( 13 ).

Recently there has been an increased emphasis on the need to promote wellbeing and positive mental health in preventing the development of mental disorders, for poor mental health has significant social and economic implications ( 14 – 16 ). Research also suggests that mental health promotion and preventative measures are cost-effective in preventing or reducing mental illness-related morbidity, both at the society and individual level ( 17 ).

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity,” there has been little effort at the global level or stagnation in implementing effective mental health services ( 18 ). Moreover, when it comes to the research on mental health (vis-a-viz physical health), promotive and preventive mental health aspects have received less attention vis-a-viz physical health. Instead, greater emphasis has been given to the illness aspect, such as research on psychopathology, mental disorders, and treatment ( 19 , 20 ). Often, physicians and psychiatrists are unfamiliar with various concepts, approaches, and interventions directed toward mental health promotion and prevention ( 11 , 21 ).

Prevention and promotion of mental health are essential, notably in reducing the growing magnitude of mental illnesses. However, while health promotion and disease prevention are universally regarded concepts in public health, their strategic application for mental health promotion and prevention are often elusive. Furthermore, given the evidence of substantial links between psychological and physical health, the non-incorporation of preventive mental health services is deplorable and has serious ramifications. Therefore, policymakers and health practitioners must be sensitized about linkages between mental- and physical health to effectively implement various mental health promotive and preventive interventions, including in individuals with chronic physical illnesses ( 18 ).

The magnitude of the mental health problems can be gauged by the fact that about 10–20% of young individuals worldwide experience depression ( 22 ). As described above, poor mental health during childhood is associated with adverse health (e.g., substance use and abuse), social (e.g., delinquency), academic (e.g., school failure), and economic (high risk of poverty) adverse outcomes in adulthood ( 23 ). Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for setting the ground for physical growth and mental wellbeing ( 22 ). Therefore, interventions promoting positive psychology empower youth with the life skills and opportunities to reach their full potential and cope with life's challenges. Comprehensive mental health interventions involving families, schools, and communities have resulted in positive physical and psychological health outcomes. However, the data is limited to high-income countries (HICs) ( 24 – 28 ).

In contrast, in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) that bear the greatest brunt of mental health problems, including massive, coupled with a high treatment gap, such interventions remained neglected in public health ( 29 , 30 ). This issue warrants prompt attention, particularly when global development strategies such as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) realize the importance of mental health ( 31 ). Furthermore, studies have consistently reported that people with socioeconomic disadvantages are at a higher risk of mental illness and associated adverse outcomes; partly, it is attributed to the inequitable distribution of mental health services ( 32 – 35 ).

Scope of Mental Health Promotion and Prevention in the Current Situation

Literature provides considerable evidence on the effectiveness of various preventive mental health interventions targeting risk and protective factors for various mental illnesses ( 18 , 36 – 42 ). There is also modest evidence of the effectiveness of programs focusing on early identification and intervention for severe mental diseases (e.g., schizophrenia and psychotic illness, and bipolar affective disorders) as well as common mental disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress-related disorders) ( 43 – 46 ). These preventive measures have also been evaluated for their cost-effectiveness with promising findings. In addition, novel interventions such as digital-based interventions and novel therapies (e.g., adventure therapy, community pharmacy program, and Home-based Nurse family partnership program) to address the mental health problems have yielded positive results. Likewise, data is emerging from LMICs, showing at least moderate evidence of mental health promotion intervention effectiveness. However, most of the available literature and intervention is restricted mainly to the HICs ( 47 ). Therefore, their replicability in LMICs needs to be established and, also, there is a need to develop locally suited interventions.

Fortunately, there has been considerable progress in preventive psychiatry over recent decades, including research on it. In the light of these advances, there is an accelerated interest among researchers, clinicians, governments, and policymakers to harness the potentialities of the preventive strategies to improve the availability, accessibility, and utility of such services for the community.

The Concept of Preventive Psychiatry

Origins of preventive psychiatry.

The history of preventive psychiatry can be traced back to the early 1900's with the foundation of the national mental health association (erstwhile mental health association), the committee on mental hygiene in New York, and the mental health hygiene movement ( 48 ). The latter emphasized the need for physicians to develop empathy and recognize and treat mental illness early, leading to greater awareness about mental health prevention ( 49 ). Despite that, preventive psychiatry remained an alien concept for many, including mental health professionals, particularly when the etiology of most psychiatric disorders was either unknown or poorly understood. However, recent advances in our understanding of the phenomena underlying psychiatric disorders and availability of the neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques concerning mental illness and its prognosis has again brought the preventive psychiatry in the forefront ( 1 ).

Levels of Prevention

The literal meaning of “prevention” is “the act of preventing something from happening” ( 50 ); the entity being prevented can range from the risk factors of the development of the illness, the onset of illness, or the recurrence of the illness or associated disability. The concept of prevention emerged primarily from infectious diseases; measures like mass vaccination and sanitation promotion have helped prevent the development of the diseases and subsequent fatalities. The original preventive model proposed by the Commission on Chronic Illness in 1957 included primary, secondary, and tertiary preventions ( 48 ).

The Concept of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention

The stages of prevention target distinct aspects of the illness's natural course; the primary prevention acts at the stage of pre-pathogenesis, that is, when the disease is yet to occur, whereas the secondary and tertiary prevention target the phase after the onset of the disease ( 51 ). Primary prevention includes health promotion and specific protection, while secondary and tertairy preventions include early diagnosis and treatment and measures to decrease disability and rehabilitation, respectively ( 51 ) ( Figure 1 ).

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The concept of primary and secondary prevention [adopted from prevention: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary by Bauman et al. ( 51 )].

The primary prevention targets those individuals vulnerable to developing mental disorders and their consequences because of their bio-psycho-social attributes. Therefore, it can be viewed as an intervention to prevent an illness, thereby preventing mental health morbidity and potential social and economic adversities. The preventive strategies under it usually target the general population or individuals at risk. Secondary and tertiary prevention targets those who have already developed the illness, aiming to reduce impairment and morbidity as soon as possible. However, these measures usually occur in a person who has already developed an illness, therefore facing related suffering, hence may not always be successful in curing or managing the illness. Thus, secondary and tertiary prevention measures target the already exposed or diagnosed individuals.

The Concept of Universal, Selective, and Indicated Prevention

The classification of health prevention based on primary/secondary/tertiary prevention is limited in being highly centered on the etiology of the illness; it does not consider the interaction between underlying etiology and risk factors of an illness. Gordon proposed another model of prevention that focuses on the degree of risk an individual is at, and accordingly, the intensity of intervention is determined. He has classified it into universal, selective, and indicated prevention. A universal preventive strategy targets the whole population irrespective of individual risk (e.g., maintaining healthy, psychoactive substance-free lifestyles); selective prevention is targeted to those at a higher risk than the general population (socio-economically disadvantaged population, e.g., migrants, a victim of a disaster, destitute, etc.). The indicated prevention aims at those who have established risk factors and are at a high risk of getting the disease (e.g., family history of psychiatric illness, history of substance use, certain personality types, etc.). Nevertheless, on the other hand, these two classifications (the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention; and universal, selective, and indicated prevention) have been intended for and are more appropriate for physical illnesses with a clear etiology or risk factors ( 48 ).

In 1994, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders proposed a new paradigm that classified primary preventive measures for mental illnesses into three categories. These are indicated, selected, and universal preventive interventions (refer Figure 2 ). According to this paradigm, primary prevention was limited to interventions done before the onset of the mental illness ( 48 ). In contrast, secondary and tertiary prevention encompasses treatment and maintenance measures ( Figure 2 ).

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The interventions for mental illness as classified by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders [adopted from Mrazek and Haggerty ( 48 )].

Although the boundaries between prevention and treatment are often more overlapping than being exclusive, the new paradigm can be used to avoid confusion stemming from the common belief that prevention can take place at all parts of mental health management ( 48 ). The onset of mental illnesses can be prevented by risk reduction interventions, which can involve reducing risk factors in an individual and strengthening protective elements in them. It aims to target modifiable factors, both risk, and protective factors, associated with the development of the illness through various general and specific interventions. These interventions can work across the lifespan. The benefits are not restricted to reduction or delay in the onset of illness but also in terms of severity or duration of illness ( 48 ).On the spectrum of mental health interventions, universal preventive interventions are directed at the whole population without identifiable risk factors. The interventions are beneficial for the general population or sub-groups. Prenatal care and childhood vaccination are examples of preventative measures that have benefited both physical and mental health. Selective preventive mental health interventions are directed at people or a subgroup with a significantly higher risk of developing mental disorders than the general population. Risk groups are those who, because of their vulnerabilities, are at higher risk of developing mental illnesses, e.g., infants with low-birth-weight (LBW), vulnerable children with learning difficulties or victims of maltreatment, elderlies, etc. Specific interventions are home visits and new-born day care facilities for LBW infants, preschool programs for all children living in resource-deprived areas, support groups for vulnerable elderlies, etc. Indicated preventive interventions focus on high-risk individuals who have developed minor but observable signs or symptoms of mental disorder or genetic risk factors for mental illness. However, they have not fulfilled the criteria of a diagnosable mental disorder. For instance, the parent-child interaction training program is an indicated prevention strategy that offers support to children whose parents have recognized them as having behavioral difficulties.

The overall objective of mental health promotion and prevention is to reduce the incidence of new cases, additionally delaying the emergence of mental illness. However, promotion and prevention in mental health complement each other rather than being mutually exclusive. Moreover, combining these two within the overall public health framework reduces stigma, increases cost-effectiveness, and provides multiple positive outcomes ( 18 ).

How Prevention in Psychiatry Differs From Other Medical Disorders

Compared to physical illnesses, diagnosing a mental illness is more challenging, particularly when there is still a lack of objective assessment methods, including diagnostic tools and biomarkers. Therefore, the diagnosis of mental disorders is heavily influenced by the assessors' theoretical perspectives and subjectivity. Moreover, mental illnesses can still be considered despite an individual not fulfilling the proper diagnostic criteria led down in classificatory systems, but there is detectable dysfunction. Furthermore, the precise timing of disorder initiation or transition from subclinical to clinical condition is often uncertain and inconclusive ( 48 ). Therefore, prevention strategies are well-delineated and clear in the case of physical disorders while it's still less prevalent in mental health parlance.

Terms, Definitions, and Concepts

The terms mental health, health promotion, and prevention have been differently defined and interpreted. It is further complicated by overlapping boundaries of the concept of promotion and prevention. Some commonly used terms in mental health prevention have been tabulated ( Table 1 ) ( 18 ).

Commonly used terms in mental health prevention.

Mental Health Promotion and Protection

The term “mental health promotion” also has definitional challenges as it signifies different things to different individuals. For some, it means the treatment of mental illness; for others, it means preventing the occurrence of mental illness; while for others, it means increasing the ability to manage frustration, stress, and difficulties by strengthening one's resilience and coping abilities ( 54 ). It involves promoting the value of mental health and improving the coping capacities of individuals rather than amelioration of symptoms and deficits.

Mental health promotion is a broad concept that encompasses the entire population, and it advocates for a strengths-based approach and tries to address the broader determinants of mental health. The objective is to eliminate health inequalities via empowerment, collaboration, and participation. There is mounting evidence that mental health promotion interventions improve mental health, lower the risk of developing mental disorders ( 48 , 55 , 56 ) and have socioeconomic benefits ( 24 ). In addition, it strives to increase an individual's capacity for psychosocial wellbeing and adversity adaptation ( 11 ).

However, the concepts of mental health promotion, protection, and prevention are intrinsically linked and intertwined. Furthermore, most mental diseases result from complex interaction risk and protective factors instead of a definite etiology. Facilitating the development and timely attainment of developmental milestones across an individual's lifespan is critical for positive mental health ( 57 ). Although mental health promotion and prevention are essential aspects of public health with wide-ranging benefits, their feasibility and implementation are marred by financial and resource constraints. The lack of cost-effectiveness studies, particularly from the LMICs, further restricts its full realization ( 47 , 58 , 59 ).

Despite the significance of the topic and a considerable amount of literature on it, a comprehensive review is still lacking that would cover the concept of mental health promotion and prevention and simultaneously discusses various interventions, including the novel techniques delivered across the lifespan, in different settings, and level of prevention. Therefore, this review aims to analyze the existing literature on various mental health promotion and prevention-based interventions and their effectiveness. Furthermore, its attempts to highlight the implications of such intervention in low-resource settings and provides future directions. Such literature would add to the existing literature on mental health promotion and prevention research and provide key insights into the effectiveness of such interventions and their feasibility and replicability in various settings.

Methodology

For the current review, key terms like “mental health promotion,” OR “protection,” OR “prevention,” OR “mitigation” were used to search relevant literature on Google Scholar, PubMed, and Cochrane library databases, considering a time period between 2000 to 2019 ( Supplementary Material 1 ). However, we have restricted our search till 2019 for non-original articles (reviews, commentaries, viewpoints, etc.), assuming that it would also cover most of the original articles published until then. Additionally, we included original papers from the last 5 years (2016–2021) so that they do not get missed out if not covered under any published review. The time restriction of 2019 for non-original articles was applied to exclude papers published during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as the latter was a significant event, bringing about substantial change and hence, it warranted a different approach to cater to the MH needs of the population, including MH prevention measures. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the flooding of novel interventions for mental health prevention and promotion, specifically targeting the pandemic and its consequences, which, if included, could have biased the findings of the current review on various MH promotion and prevention interventions.

A time frame of about 20 years was taken to see the effectiveness of various MH promotion and protection interventions as it would take substantial time to be appreciated in real-world situations. Therefore, the current paper has put greater reliance on the review articles published during the last two decades, assuming that it would cover most of the original articles published until then.

The above search yielded 320 records: 225 articles from Google scholar, 59 articles from PubMed, and 36 articles from the Cochrane database flow-diagram of records screening. All the records were title/abstract screened by all the authors to establish the suitability of those records for the current review; a bibliographic- and gray literature search was also performed. In case of any doubts or differences in opinion, it was resolved by mutual discussion. Only those articles directly related to mental health promotion, primary prevention, and related interventions were included in the current review. In contrast, records that discussed any specific conditions/disorders (post-traumatic stress disorders, suicide, depression, etc.), specific intervention (e.g., specific suicide prevention intervention) that too for a particular population (e.g., disaster victims) lack generalizability in terms of mental health promotion or prevention, those not available in the English language, and whose full text was unavailable were excluded. The findings of the review were described narratively.

Interventions for Mental Health Promotion and Prevention and Their Evidence

Various interventions have been designed for mental health promotion and prevention. They are delivered and evaluated across the regions (high-income countries to low-resource settings, including disaster-affiliated regions of the world), settings (community-based, school-based, family-based, or individualized); utilized different psychological constructs and therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral interventions, coping skills training, interpersonal therapies, general health education, etc.); and delivered by different professionals/facilitators (school-teachers, mental health professionals or paraprofessionals, peers, etc.). The details of the studies, interventions used, and outcomes have been provided in Supplementary Table 1 . Below we provide the synthesized findings of the available research.

The majority of the available studies were quantitative and experimental. Randomized controlled trials comprised a sizeable proportion of the studies; others were quasi-experimental studies and, a few, qualitative studies. The studies primarily focussed on school students or the younger population, while others were explicitly concerned with the mental health of young females ( 60 ). Newer data is emerging on mental health promotion and prevention interventions for elderlies (e.g., dementia) ( 61 ). The majority of the research had taken a broad approach to mental health promotion ( 62 ). However, some studies have focused on universal prevention ( 63 , 64 ) or selective prevention ( 65 – 68 ). For instance, the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAPA) was implemented across the schools and has utilized cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapies and reported a significant improvement in depressive symptoms. Some of the interventions were directed at enhancing an individual's characteristics like resilience, behavior regulation, and coping skills (ZIPPY's Friends) ( 69 ), while others have focused on the promotion of social and emotional competencies among the school children and attempted to reduce the gap in such competencies across the socio-economic classes (“Up” program) ( 70 ) or utilized expressive abilities of the war-affected children (Writing for Recover (WfR) intervention) ( 71 ) to bring about an improvement in their psychological problems (a type of selective prevention) ( 62 ) or harnessing the potential of Art, in the community-based intervention, to improve self-efficacy, thus preventing mental disorders (MAD about Art program) ( 72 ). Yet, others have focused on strengthening family ( 60 , 73 ), community relationships ( 62 ), and targeting modifiable risk factors across the life course to prevent dementia among the elderlies and also to support the carers of such patients ( 61 ).

Furthermore, more of the studies were conducted and evaluated in the developed parts of the world, while emerging economies, as anticipated, far lagged in such interventions or related research. The interventions that are specifically adapted for local resources, such as school-based programs involving paraprofessionals and teachers in the delivery of mental health interventions, were shown to be more effective ( 62 , 74 ). Likewise, tailored approaches for low-resource settings such as LMICs may also be more effective ( 63 ). Some of these studies also highlight the beneficial role of a multi-dimensional approach ( 68 , 75 ) and interventions targeting early lifespan ( 76 , 77 ).

Newer Insights: How to Harness Digital Technology and Novel Methods of MH Promotion and Protection

With the advent of digital technology and simultaneous traction on mental health promotion and prevention interventions, preventive psychiatrists and public health experts have developed novel techniques to deliver mental health promotive and preventive interventions. These encompass different settings (e.g., school, home, workplace, the community at large, etc.) and levels of prevention (universal, selective, indicated) ( 78 – 80 ).

The advanced technologies and novel interventions have broadened the scope of MH promotion and prevention, such as addressing the mental health issues of individuals with chronic medical illness ( 81 , 82 ), severe mental disorders ( 83 ), children and adolescents with mental health problems, and geriatric population ( 78 ). Further, it has increased the accessibility and acceptability of such interventions in a non-stigmatizing and tailored manner. Moreover, they can be integrated into the routine life of the individuals.

For instance, Internet-and Mobile-based interventions (IMIs) have been utilized to monitor health behavior as a form of MH prevention and a stand-alone self-help intervention. Moreover, the blended approach has expanded the scope of MH promotive and preventive interventions such as face-to-face interventions coupled with remote therapies. Simultaneously, it has given way to the stepped-care (step down or step-up care) approach of treatment and its continuation ( 79 ). Also, being more interactive and engaging is particularly useful for the youth.

The blended model of care has utilized IMIs to a varying degree and at various stages of the psychological interventions. This includes IMIs as a supplementary approach to the face-to-face-interventions (FTFI), FTFI augmented by behavior intervention technologies (BITs), BITs augmented by remote human support, and fully automated BITs ( 84 ).

The stepped care model of mental health promotion and prevention strategies includes a stepped-up approach, wherein BITs are utilized to manage the prodromal symptoms, thereby preventing the onset of the full-blown episode. In the Stepped-down approach, the more intensive treatments (in-patient or out-patient based interventions) are followed and supplemented with the BITs to prevent relapse of the mental illness, such as for previously admitted patients with depression or substance use disorders ( 85 , 86 ).

Similarly, the latest research has developed newer interventions for strengthening the psychological resilience of the public or at-risk individuals, which can be delivered at the level of the home, such as, e.g., nurse family partnership program (to provide support to the young and vulnerable mothers and prevent childhood maltreatment) ( 87 ); family healing together program aimed at improving the mental health of the family members living with persons with mental illness (PwMI) ( 88 ). In addition, various novel interventions for MH promotion and prevention have been highlighted in the Table 2 .

Depiction of various novel mental health promotion and prevention strategies.

a/w, associated with; A-V, audio-visual; b/w, between; CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; CES-Dep., Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale; CG, control group; FU, follow-up; GAD, generalized anxiety disorders-7; IA, intervention arm; HCWs, Health Care Workers; LMIC, low and middle-income countries; MDD, major depressive disorders; mgt, management; MH, mental health; MHP, mental health professional; MINI, mini neuropsychiatric interview; NNT, number needed to treat; PHQ-9, patient health questionnaire; TAU, treatment as usual .

Furthermore, school/educational institutes-based interventions such as school-Mental Health Magazines to increase mental health literacy among the teachers and students have been developed ( 80 ). In addition, workplace mental health promotional activities have targeted the administrators, e.g., guided “e-learning” for the managers that have shown to decrease the mental health problems of the employees ( 102 ).

Likewise, digital technologies have also been harnessed in strengthening community mental health promotive/preventive services, such as the mental health first aid (MHFA) Books on Prescription initiative in New Zealand provided information and self-help tools through library networks and trained book “prescribers,” particularly in rural and remote areas ( 103 ).

Apart from the common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders in the childhood/adolescents, novel interventions have been utilized to prevent the development of or management of medical, including preventing premature mortality and psychological issues among the individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs), e.g., Lets' talk about tobacco-web based intervention and motivational interviewing to prevent tobacco use, weight reduction measures, and promotion of healthy lifestyles (exercise, sleep, and balanced diets) through individualized devices, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disorders ( 83 ). Similarly, efforts have been made to improve such individuals' coping skills and employment chances through the WorkingWell mobile application in the US ( 104 ).

Apart from the digital-based interventions, newer, non-digital-based interventions have also been utilized to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders among individuals with chronic medical conditions. One such approach in adventure therapy aims to support and strengthen the multi-dimensional aspects of self. It includes the physical, emotional or cognitive, social, spiritual, psychological, or developmental rehabilitation of the children and adolescents with cancer. Moreover, it is delivered in the natural environment outside the hospital premises, shifting the focus from the illness model to the wellness model ( 81 ). Another strength of this intervention is it can be delivered by the nurses and facilitate peer support and teamwork.

Another novel approach to MH prevention is gut-microbiota and dietary interventions. Such interventions have been explored with promising results for the early developmental disorders (Attention deficit hyperactive disorder, Autism spectrum disorders, etc.) ( 105 ). It works under the framework of the shared vulnerability model for common mental disorders and other non-communicable diseases and harnesses the neuroplasticity potential of the developing brain. Dietary and lifestyle modifications have been recommended for major depressive disorders by the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Australia ( 106 ). As most childhood mental and physical disorders are determined at the level of the in-utero and early after the birth period, targeting maternal nutrition is another vital strategy. The utility has been expanded from maternal nutrition to women of childbearing age. The various novel mental health promotion and prevention strategies are shown in Table 2 .

Newer research is emerging that has utilized the digital platform for training non-specialists in diagnosis and managing individuals with mental health problems, such as Atmiyata Intervention and The SMART MH Project in India, and The Allillanchu Project in Peru, to name a few ( 99 ). Such frameworks facilitate task-sharing by the non-specialist and help in reducing the treatment gap in these countries. Likewise, digital algorithms or decision support systems have been developed to make mental health services more transparent, personalized, outcome-driven, collaborative, and integrative; one such example is DocuMental, a clinical decision support system (DSS). Similarly, frameworks like i-PROACH, a cloud-based intelligent platform for research outcome assessment and care in mental health, have expanded the scope of the mental health support system, including promoting research in mental health ( 100 ). In addition, COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in wider dissemination of the applications based on the evidence-based psycho-social interventions such as National Health Service's (NHS's) Mind app and Headspace (teaching meditation via a website or a phone application) that have utilized mindfulness-based practices to address the psychological problems of the population ( 101 ).

Challenges in Implementing Novel MH Promotion and Prevention Strategies

Although novel interventions, particularly internet and mobile-based interventions (IMIs), are effective models for MH promotion and prevention, their cost-effectiveness requires further exploration. Moreover, their feasibility and acceptability in LMICs could be challenging. Some of these could be attributed to poor digital literacy, digital/network-related limitations, privacy issues, and society's preparedness to implement these interventions.

These interventions need to be customized and adapted according to local needs and context, for which implementation and evaluative research are warranted. In addition, the infusion of more human and financial resources for such activities is required. Some reports highlight that many of these interventions do not align with the preferences and use the pattern of the service utilizers. For instance, one explorative research on mental health app-based interventions targeting youth found that despite the burgeoning applications, they are not aligned with the youth's media preferences and learning patterns. They are less interactive, have fewer audio-visual displays, are not youth-specific, are less dynamic, and are a single touch app ( 107 ).

Furthermore, such novel interventions usually come with high costs. In low-resource settings where service utilizers have limited finances, their willingness to use such services may be doubtful. Moreover, insurance companies, including those in high-income countries (HICs), may not be willing to fund such novel interventions, which restricts the accessibility and availability of interventions.

Research points to the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating such novel interventions in routine services such as school, community, primary care, or settings, e.g., in low-resource settings, the resource persons like teachers, community health workers, and primary care physicians are already overburdened. Therefore, their willingness to take up additional tasks may raise skepticism. Moreover, the attitudinal barrier to moving from the traditional service delivery model to the novel methods may also impede.

Considering the low MH budget and less priority on the MH prevention and promotion activities in most low-resource settings, the uptake of such interventions in the public health framework may be lesser despite the latter's proven high cost-effectiveness. In contrast, policymakers may be more inclined to invest in the therapeutic aspects of MH.

Such interventions open avenues for personalized and precision medicine/health care vs. the traditional model of MH promotion and preventive interventions ( 108 , 109 ). For instance, multivariate prediction algorithms with methods of machine learning and incorporating biological research, such as genetics, may help in devising tailored, particularly for selected and indicated prevention, interventions for depression, suicide, relapse prevention, etc. ( 79 ). Therefore, more research in this area is warranted.

To be more clinically relevant, greater biological research in MH prevention is required to identify those at higher risk of developing given mental disorders due to the existing risk factors/prominent stress ( 110 ). For instance, researchers have utilized the transcriptional approach to identify a biological fingerprint for susceptibility (denoting abnormal early stress response) to develop post-traumatic stress disorders among the psychological trauma survivors by analyzing the expression of the Peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression profiles ( 111 ). Identifying such biological markers would help target at-risk individuals through tailored and intensive interventions as a form of selected prevention.

Similarly, such novel interventions can help in targeting the underlying risk such as substance use, poor stress management, family history, personality traits, etc. and protective factors, e.g., positive coping techniques, social support, resilience, etc., that influences the given MH outcome ( 79 ). Therefore, again, it opens the scope of tailored interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all model of selective and indicated prevention for various MH conditions.

Furthermore, such interventions can be more accessible for the hard-to-reach populations and those with significant mental health stigma. Finally, they play a huge role in ensuring the continuity of care, particularly when community-based MH services are either limited or not available. For instance, IMIs can maintain the improvement of symptoms among individuals previously managed in-patient, such as for suicide, SUDs, etc., or receive intensive treatment like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for depression or anxiety, thereby helping relapse prevention ( 86 , 112 ). Hence, such modules need to be developed and tested in low-resource settings.

IMIs (and other novel interventions) being less stigmatizing and easily accessible, provide a platform to engage individuals with chronic medical problems, e.g., epilepsy, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, etc., and non-mental health professionals, thereby making it more relevant and appealing for them.

Lastly, research on prevention-interventions needs to be more robust to adjust for the pre-intervention matching, high attrition rate, studying the characteristics of treatment completers vs. dropouts, and utilizing the intention-to-treat analysis to gauge the effect of such novel interventions ( 78 ).

Recommendations for Low-and-Middle-Income Countries

Although there is growing research on the effectiveness and utility of mental health promotion/prevention interventions across the lifespan and settings, low-resource settings suffer from specific limitations that restrict the full realization of such public health strategies, including implementing the novel intervention. To overcome these challenges, some of the potential solutions/recommendations are as follows:

  • The mental health literacy of the population should be enhanced through information, education, and communication (IEC) activities. In addition, these activities should reduce stigma related to mental problems, early identification, and help-seeking for mental health-related issues.
  • Involving teachers, workplace managers, community leaders, non-mental health professionals, and allied health staff in mental health promotion and prevention is crucial.
  • Mental health concepts and related promotion and prevention should be incorporated into the education curriculum, particularly at the medical undergraduate level.
  • Training non-specialists such as community health workers on mental health-related issues across an individual's life course and intervening would be an effective strategy.
  • Collaborating with specialists from other disciplines, including complementary and alternative medicines, would be crucial. A provision of an integrated health system would help in increasing awareness, early identification, and prompt intervention for at-risk individuals.
  • Low-resource settings need to develop mental health promotion interventions such as community-and school-based interventions, as these would be more culturally relevant, acceptable, and scalable.
  • Utilizing a digital platform for scaling mental health services (e.g., telepsychiatry services to at-risk populations) and training the key individuals in the community would be a cost-effective framework that must be explored.
  • Infusion of higher financial and human resources in this area would be a critical step, as, without adequate resources, research, service development, and implementation would be challenging.
  • It would also be helpful to identify vulnerable populations and intervene in them to prevent the development of clinical psychiatric disorders.
  • Lastly, involving individuals with lived experiences at the level of mental health planning, intervention development, and delivery would be cost-effective.

Clinicians, researchers, public health experts, and policymakers have increasingly realized mental health promotion and prevention. Investment in Preventive psychiatry appears to be essential considering the substantial burden of mental and neurological disorders and the significant treatment gap. Literature suggests that MH promotive and preventive interventions are feasible and effective across the lifespan and settings. Moreover, various novel interventions (e.g., internet-and mobile-based interventions, new therapies) have been developed worldwide and proven effective for mental health promotion and prevention; such interventions are limited mainly to HICs.

Despite the significance of preventive psychiatry in the current world and having a wide-ranging implication for the wellbeing of society and individuals, including those suffering from chronic medical problems, it is a poorly utilized public health field to address the population's mental health needs. Lately, researchers and policymakers have realized the untapped potentialities of preventive psychiatry. However, its implementation in low-resource settings is still in infancy and marred by several challenges. The utilization of novel interventions, such as digital-based interventions, and blended and stepped-care models of care, can address the enormous mental health need of the population. Additionally, it provides mental health services in a less-stigmatizing and easily accessible, and flexible manner. More research concerning this is required from the LMICs.

Author Contributions

VS, AK, and SG: methodology, literature search, manuscript preparation, and manuscript review. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.898009/full#supplementary-material

  • Open access
  • Published: 15 February 2024

Enhancing mental wellbeing by changing mindsets? Results from two randomized controlled trials

  • Carina Schreiber 1 &
  • Marijke Schotanus-Dijkstra 2  

BMC Psychology volume  12 , Article number:  77 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Improving mental wellbeing is often targeted with behavioral interventions, while mindset interventions might be more appealing as they require less time and effort. In addition to recent experimental studies demonstrating that attributional beliefs can be changed to improve emotional wellbeing and performance, the current study examines whether a positive change in people’s beliefs about stress and life philosophy enhances emotional, social and psychological wellbeing using brief educational interventions. Two parallel double-blind randomized controlled trials were conducted. Study 1 ( N  = 106; 62.3% female, mean age 36.0) compared an educational video about the benefits of a stress-is-enhancing mindset versus an active control video. In Study 2 ( N  = 136; 57.4% female, mean age 35.7), educational texts about the benefits of a stress-is-enhancing mindset and holding a life-is-long-and-easy mindset were compared to an active control text. Results of multilevel growth curve modeling showed that a stress mindset could be significantly changed using an educational video or text, while the change in the philosophies of life mindset did not significantly differ between conditions. Furthermore, none of the manipulations were able to sustain the positive change in mindset which might explain why there was no significant increase in mental wellbeing compared to control. To have a lasting effect on people’s mental wellbeing, a change in mindset might need to be embodied in everyday life. Future research should investigate simple versus intensive interventions with longer follow-up time to examine whether and how a mindset can be sustainably changed to promote flourishing mental health in the general population.

Peer Review reports

Improving mental wellbeing in the general population seems a major challenge in the 21st century. Performance pressure in education and occupation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rise of mental health problems are only some of the hindering factors to experience wellbeing (e.g., [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]). Although North and West European countries dominate the world ranking of the most happiest countries [ 4 ], much less of their citizens are able to flourish in life [ 5 , 6 ]. Flourishing mental health can be viewed as the highest end of the mental wellbeing continuum, which consists of emotional wellbeing (i.e., happiness, life satisfaction, positive affect) [ 7 ], social wellbeing (e.g., social contribution, social acceptance) [ 8 ] and psychological wellbeing (e.g., personal growth, autonomy, self-acceptance) [ 9 ]. Hence, flourishing means more than feeling happy and satisfied with life [ 10 ]; people who flourish are also doing good for themselves and society [ 11 , 12 ]. Cross-sectional studies have shown that flourishing is related to better work performance, fewer physical health complaints and lower health care costs [ 13 , 14 ]. More importantly, longitudinal evidence revealed that flourishing reduced the risk of mortality and the onset and persistence of common mental disorders [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].

According to the Eudaimonic Activity Model, the most optimal path towards sustainable wellbeing and flourishing is to pursue growth-promoting goals and intentional behaviors with consistent effort [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. An increase in happiness and positive affect is then thought to automatically follow. Nowadays, a wide variety of positive behavioral interventions have been developed which can effectively improve mental wellbeing in the general population [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Whether an individual can successfully change towards positive behavior depends, however, on aspects such as intrinsic motivation, time, effort, character traits like grit (i.e., a combination of being perseverant and having a passion for long-term goals), and social support [ 20 , 27 ]. For example, a study among 340 undergraduate and postgraduate university students showed that those with higher levels of grit also scored higher on growth mindset and mental wellbeing [ 28 ]. Therefore, a more cost-effective approach might be to first endeavor altering people’s beliefs which in turn can affect their behavior. Indeed, positive beliefs could directly influence the way people behave, or they might align with (intended) positive behaviors in such a way that the actual behavior change can be achieved with less time and effort [ 29 , 30 ]. As a consequence, disseminating how people can change their mindset might be more appealing for a wider population. While targeting people’s beliefs to enhance their wellbeing seems promising, to date, little is known about the impact and changeability of wellbeing related attributional beliefs.

Influential theoretical frameworks such as the Health Belief Model [ 31 ], the Theory of Planned Behavior [ 32 , 33 ], the Cognitive Dissonance Theory [ 29 ] and more specifically, the Growth Mindset theory [ 34 , 35 ] postulate that people’s beliefs influence their implicit and intentional behaviors. According to the latter theory, a mindset is “a mental frame or lens that selectively organizes and encodes information, thereby orienting an individual towards a unique way of understanding an experience and guiding one towards corresponding action and responses” ([ 36 ], p. 717 adapted from [ 35 ]). The theory and studies of Dweck focus on the belief that human traits and attributes are relatively stable (fixed mindset) versus the belief that human traits and attributes can develop and change incrementally through a person’s effort (growth mindset) [ 35 ]. The majority of studies on mindsets have focused on the malleability of intelligence and personality (e.g., [ 35 , 37 ]), but scientific interest in the adaptability of other attributes is growing (e.g., [ 38 , 39 ]). In particular, two types of mindsets might have the potential to influence people’s wellbeing, namely a stress mindset [ 36 ] and a philosophies of life mindset [ 40 ].

The stress mindset was introduced by Crum and her colleagues [ 36 ] and defined as “the evaluation of the nature of stress itself as enhancing or debilitating” (p. 718). In the following years, studies found that a stress-is-enhancing mindset is associated with increased life satisfaction and less symptoms of depression, anxiety and perceived stress compared to holding a stress-is-debilitating mindset (e.g., [ 36 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]). Research also showed that a stress mindset could be changed successfully by means of a simple intervention [ 36 , 41 , 45 ]. By presenting a short video with evidence in favor of a stress-is-enhancing mindset, Crum and her colleagues [ 36 ] were able to change participants’ mindsets from a stress-is-debilitating mindset to a stress-is-enhancing mindset. More importantly, the change towards a more stress-is-enhancing mindset was accompanied by positive changes in individuals’ work performance and symptoms of anxiety and depression [ 36 ]. In another study, the stress mindset of university students was successfully changed to a more stress-is-enhancing mindset, but this change led only to improved positive and negative affect, perceived distress, proactive behavior and academic performance when perceived distress at baseline was high [ 41 ]. Yet, it is unknown whether a change to a stress-is-enhancing mindset could enhance people’s mental wellbeing rather than sole happiness or life-satisfaction.

Another mental frame that may be related to wellbeing is the life philosophy mindset. Based on a philosophical debate about Hobbes view that life is “nasty, brutish and short”, Norton and colleagues [ 40 ] explored whether people endorse the belief that life is short versus long and the belief that life is hard versus easy. Prior research regarding the belief that life is enduring has shown that if people were willing to donate some of their time to volunteer for a charity organization, they were also more likely to donate more money [ 46 ]. Similarly, a study showed that older employees with a higher subjective life expectancy had the intention to work longer [ 47 ]. In contrast, results from research about the perceived difficulty of life is less clear. For instance, despite the realization that effort often brings more pleasure in life [ 22 , 48 ] and that a certain level of difficulty is needed for flow and personal growth [ 49 ], laypersons still desire an easy – yet meaningful – life [ 22 ]. Taken endurance and difficulty of life into account, Norton and colleagues [ 40 ] demonstrated that most participants from both North America and India held the belief that life is short and hard (45–61% across studies). Interestingly, the least popular view was that life is long and easy (6–15% across studies), while this mindset was associated with higher levels of happiness, life-satisfaction, volunteering, charitable donations and optimism about the future [ 40 ]. To our knowledge, the malleability of the philosophy of life mindset has not yet been investigated and potential effects of a shift to a life-is-long-and-easy mindset are unknown.

To summarize, the majority of people seem to hold a stress-is-debilitating mindset and a life-is-short-and-hard mindset. Based on the Eudaimonic Activity Model, Cognitive Dissonance Theory and the Growth Mindset Theory, it can be argued that a change in people’s beliefs might directly have an influence on their level of mental wellbeing. Consequently, this implies the potential efficacy of widespread, easy-to-administer, and cost-effective interventions targeted at reshaping prevailing belief systems to positively impact mental wellbeing. In fact, empirical evidence has shown that holding a more positive mindset is associated with several mental health related benefits, albeit mental wellbeing defined as having optimal levels of emotional, social and psychological wellbeing has not yet been investigated.

Therefore, the aim of the current paper is to examine whether a positive change in people’s beliefs about stress and life philosophy induced by simple educational interventions enhances mental wellbeing (i.e. emotional, social and psychological wellbeing). A series of two studies was conducted to test interventions with different delivery modes of information (i.e., video versus text), offering insights into the efficacy of different mediums in changing mindsets. In Study 1, an educational video in favor of a stress-is-enhancing mindset is compared to an active control video condition up to 4-weeks follow-up. It is hypothesized that people in the experimental condition significantly improve more towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset compared to people in the control condition. Furthermore, this shift towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset in the experimental condition is hypothesized to be accompanied by a significant increase in mental wellbeing, positive affect and locus of control, and a significant decrease in negative affect and perceived stress over time when compared to control. In Study 2, educational texts in favor of a stress-is-enhancing mindset or a life-is-long-and-easy mindset are compared to a control text condition up to 1-week follow-up. Hypotheses are that people in the experimental conditions improve significantly more towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset or a life-is-long-and-easy mindset respectively, and attain significantly higher levels of mental wellbeing over time compared to people in the control condition.

A parallel double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in which participants were randomly allocated to either an experimental stress mindset manipulation video or an active control video condition (allocation ratio 1:1). Online surveys were assessed at four different time points to capture both adaptive and sustainable responses to the interventions: at baseline, at posttest directly after the manipulation, and at 1 and 4 weeks follow-up. All methods were carried out using the CONSORT and JARS guidelines [ 50 , 51 ], and the experimental protocols were approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Twente (no. 190,218 and no. 191,189).

Participants and procedure

Participants were recruited by six students of the University of Twente using convenience sampling. Participants had to be at least 18 years old and German-speaking. A power analysis in G*Power yielded a total required sample size of 124 participants to detect a small effect size (β = 0.80, α = 0.05, d  = 0.30) for a 2*4 repeated measures analysis. Eligible participants ( N  = 184) received an email with the link to the informed consent procedure and the baseline assessment. 134 participants completed the baseline assessment and were randomly assigned to the stress mindset video ( n  = 67) or control video condition ( n  = 67) by an independent researcher using random numbers from randomizer.org. The final sample consisted of 106 participants because 28 participants were excluded for not watching the video. Drop-outs were significantly younger ( M dropout = 28.2, SD  = 10.7; M completers = 35.8, SD  = 16.1; t (134) = 2.43, p  = .017) and experienced more stress ( M dropout = 14.97, SD  = 6.88; M completers = 12.22, SD  = 5.70; t (134) = -2.23, p  = .028) compared to completers.

The final sample consisted of 54 participants in the stress mindset condition and 52 participants in the control condition. Mean age was 36 years ( SD  = 16.20) and slightly more than half of the participants were female (62.3%), higher educated (54.7%) and in paid employment (55.7%). No significant differences were found between the two conditions on demographics and baseline outcome measures except for perceived stress; participants in the stress mindset condition ( M  = 13.31, SD  = 6.35) experienced significantly higher levels of perceived stress at baseline compared to those in the control condition ( M  = 11.08, SD  = 5.70; t (104) = 2.05, p  = .043).

At follow-up, the majority of the participants completed the surveys 1 week (94.3%) and 4 weeks (84.9%) after posttest. There were no significant differences between completers and drop-outs at any timepoint on any demographics or baseline measures ( p s > 0.109).

Both conditions received a 3-minute educational video aiming to deliver comprehensive and persuasive information to laypersons. While both videos were in German and similar in length and form, containing images and music, their content differed.

Stress mindset condition

The stress mindset condition received an educational video in favor of a stress-is-enhancing mindset. The video was originally developed by Crum, Akinola (45). For the purpose of the present study, German subtitles were added. In the video, scientific examples are given explaining how stress can enhance performance, health and mental wellbeing, and how this effect can be increased when believing in the positive aspects of stress. The video aimed to persuade participants to perceive stress as enhancing rather than debilitating.

Control condition

The control condition received an educational sham video about Kant’s ethical theory of the categorical imperative. The video was retrieved online from YouTube and states that according to the categorical imperative, people should act in such a way, that their behavior could become a general ethical rule. By giving the participants neutral yet scientific information about the categorical imperative, the video aimed to pose a neutral, non-manipulative equivalent to the experimental stress mindset condition.

  • Mental wellbeing

The 14-item Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) was used to measure emotional, social and psychological wellbeing [ 52 ]. Due to a mistake in designing the survey in Qualtrics, the MHC-SF was only administered at pretest, 1-week FU and 4-week FU, and not at posttest. Answers on items such as “During the past month, how often did you feel happy?” and “During the past month, how often did you feel that you liked most parts of your personality?” range from never (0) to every day (5). Higher total mean scores (0–5) indicate higher levels of mental wellbeing. The MHC-SF is frequently used due to its comprehensibility and good psychometric properties (α > 0.80) as shown among various samples of adolescents and adults in studies from all continents (e.g., [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]) as well as in the present study (α = 0.88).

  • Stress mindset

To check whether the experimental manipulation of participants’ stress mindset was successful, the Stress Mindset Measure (SMM) was used [ 36 ]. The 8-item questionnaire measures the extent to which an individual holds the mindset that the effects of stress are debilitating or enhancing. The SMM evaluates the participants’ general stress mindset (e.g., “The effects of stress are negative and should be avoided”) and signs and symptoms related to the debilitating and enhancing consequences of stress in the field of health and vitality, learning and growth, and performance and productivity (e.g., “Experiencing stress improves health and vitality”). The participants answered the items by rating the extent to which they agree or disagree with the given statements on a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (0) to strongly agree (4). Total summed scores ranged from 8 to 40, with lower scores indicating a stress-is-debilitating mindset and higher scores a stress-is-enhancing mindset. The SMM proved to have good psychometric properties in the current study (α = 0.88).

Positive and negative affect

The 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was used to assess the extent to which an individual experienced positive affect (e.g., excited; proud) and negative affect (e.g., irritable; upset) in the last 24 h [ 56 ]. The items are rated on a five point scale, ranging from not at all (1) to extremely (5). Total summed scores ranged between 10 and 50 on each subscale, higher scores indicating higher levels of positive or negative affect. In the current study, acceptable reliability was found for negative affect (α = 0.75) and good reliability for positive affect (α = 0.85).

Locus of control

The 9-item Internal Locus of Control subscale of Levenson’s Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale [ 57 ] was used to assess individual’s degree of perceived internal control (e.g., “My life is determined by my own actions”). The items are rated on a seven-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly agree (0) to strongly disagree (6). Higher summed scores (0–54) indicate a higher tendency towards perceived internal locus of control. The questionnaire demonstrated acceptable reliability in the current study (α = 0.77).

Perceived stress

The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) developed by Cohen [ 58 ] was used to assess the degree in which people consider events in their lives as stressful in the past month (e.g., “In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and stressed?”). Answers ranged from never (0) to very often (4) with higher summed scores (0–40) indicating higher levels of perceived stress. The questionnaire showed good psychometric properties in the present study (α = 0.84).

Statistical analyses

Changes in the outcome measures over time were examined using multilevel growth curve modeling in R (version 0.99.902, NLME package) to account for repeated measures nested within individuals [ 59 ]. It was hypothesized that changes would be nonlinear over time because participants watched a brief video only once. An unconditional growth curve model was specified with linear and quadratic changes over time, which was then compared with hypothesis-testing models. Time was centered on the second time point (posttest).

Results and discussion

Results demonstrated that the stress-is-enhancing mindset increased significantly more over time in the stress mindset condition compared to control, γ 11  = 0.25, S.E. = 0.05, t (292) = 4.57, p  < .001; γ 21 = -0.19, S.E. = 0.04, t (292) = -4.76, p  < .001 (see Table  1 ). This effect of the educational video was mainly visible directly at posttest ( d  = 0.64, see Fig.  1 ). However, no linear or quadratic changes were found for mental wellbeing, positive affect and negative affect ( γ s < 0.38, p s > 0.362). By contrast, linear changes over time were found for locus of control, γ 11  = 1.12, S.E. = 0.49, t (292) = 2.28, p  = .023 and perceived stress, γ 11 = -1.17, S.E. = 0.48, t (289) = -2.42, p  = .016, in favor of the stress mindset condition. Within this condition, locus of control gradually increased over time, while perceived stress reduced most strongly between pretest and posttest (see Fig.  1 ). Notably, between-group effect sizes per time point were not significant for locus of control and perceived stress (see Table  1 ). Overall, the findings indicate that the stress-mindset video had a positive – but small and temporary – effect on stress or mindset related outcomes, but no effect on mental wellbeing and general affect.

The findings of Study 1 underscore earlier findings about the changeability of stress mindsets [ 36 , 41 , 45 ]. As seen before [ 45 ], a sharp increase towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset was visible directly after watching an educational video in favor of this mindset compared to control. This sharp increase could perhaps have been more stronger when those participants with higher levels of stress at baseline were also included in the whole study, but for some unknown reasons they did not watch the manipulation videos and had to be excluded from the analyses. Although the overall stress-mindset trajectories over time differed between conditions in favor of the stress mindset condition, they only differed significantly at posttest and not at 1-week and 4-week follow-up. Hence, it seems that a mindset can quite easily be changed [ 36 , 41 , 45 , 60 , 61 ], but that a simple video manipulation might not be sufficient to sustainably maintain this change over a longer period of time.

In addition, Study 1 showed that the change towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset did not significantly led to more improvements in mental wellbeing compared to control. A possible explanation for this unexpected finding is that a potential steep increase in mental wellbeing immediately after the manipulation was missing from the growth curve analysis due to a constructional error at posttest. However, positive and negative affect, an important dimension of emotional wellbeing, did also not change significantly over time compared to control. Accordingly, a change in one’s mindset might merely fuel changes in proximal variables such as perceived stress and work performance when changing one’s stress mindset [ 36 ], or motivation and academic achievement when changing towards a growth mindset [ 62 ]. Because mental wellbeing consists of emotional, social and psychological wellbeing, it might be too distal from the belief that stress can be beneficial for one’s (physical) health and performance.

Therefore, in Study 2, we added a philosophy of life mindset condition, which seems more proximately related to mental wellbeing. We also used actively reading educational texts instead of passively watching videos because studies from other mindset types have shown that using educational or persuasive texts were successful in changing people’s mindset [ 38 , 39 ]. Such texts may be exemplary to slightly increase participants’ effort in order to change their mindsets without approaching the effort that is usually needed to modify behavior. Moreover, educational texts have not yet been used in the field of stress mindset.

figure 1

Average changes in mental wellbeing, stress mindset, locus of control and perceived stress by video condition (Study 1)

In the second study, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in which participants were randomly allocated to reading an educational text about either a stress-is-enhancing mindset, a life-is-long-and-easy mindset or about personality traits (active control condition) with an allocation ratio of 1:1:1. Online surveys were assessed at three different time points: at baseline, at posttest directly after reading the educational text and at 1-week follow-up. A 4-week follow-up was omitted due to disappointing recruitment for the available time and more attrition than anticipated.

Participants were recruited by eight students of the University of Twente using convenience sampling. The preconditions and procedure were similar to Study 1. The initial power analysis in G*Power yielded a total required sample size of 222 participants to detect a small effect size (β = 0.80, α = 0.05, d  = 0.25) for a 3*4 repeated measures analysis. Of the 204 eligible participants, 155 participants completed the baseline survey and were randomly assigned to the stress mindset condition ( n  = 52), the life philosophy mindset condition ( n  = 51) or the active control condition ( n  = 52). The final sample consisted of 136 participants because 19 participants were excluded for not reading the text. Drop-outs were significantly younger ( M dropout = 25.5, SD  = 7.3; M completers = 35.7, SD  = 16.5; t (152) = 4.57, p  = < 0.001) compared to completers, but they did not differ on any other demographics or outcome measures ( p s > 0.112).

The final sample consisted of 45 participants in the stress mindset condition, 47 participants in the philosophy of life mindset condition, and 44 participants in the control condition. The mean age of the final sample was 35.7 ( SD  = 16.5) and slightly more than half of the participants were female (57.4%), intermediately educated (61.0%) and in paid employment (58.8%). No significant differences were found between the three conditions on demographics and baseline outcome measures ( p s > 0.337). The majority of the participants completed the 1-week follow-up (90.4%) and no significant differences were found between drop-outs and completers although those in paid employment were marginally less likely to drop-out at follow-up, χ 2 (2) = 5.53, p  = .063.

All three conditions received a text to read, aiming at delivering comprehensible and convincing information to laypersons. All three texts were in German and similar in length, but their content differed (see Supplemental Material for full details).

Participants were instructed to read an educational text in favor of a stress-is-enhancing mindset. By referring to scientific evidence about the beneficial effects of stress on energy levels, workplace performance, life satisfaction and psychological symptoms the text aimed to persuade participants to believe in the positive nature of stress and to perceive it as enhancing rather than debilitating. This educational text was based on results from a study by Crum and colleagues [ 36 ].

Philosophy of life mindset condition

Participants in this condition were instructed to read a text about the benefits of holding a life-is-long-and-easy mindset in contrast to a life-is-short-and-hard mindset on wellbeing, relationship satisfaction and happiness. This educational text was based on results from a study by Norton and colleagues [ 40 ], aimed to change participants mindset, but regarding a positive life philosophy rather than positive beliefs about stress.

Participants in the active control condition received a neutral, educational text about the Big Five. Participants were informed that the Big Five are not only game animals in Africa but also the core traits used to describe people’s personality. By providing scientific information about the Big Five personality dimensions, it was expected that this text was of interest to participants but unlikely to change participants mindset about stress or life philosophies.

Similar to Study 1, mental wellbeing was measured with the MHC-SF (α = 0.90) and stress mindset with the SMM (α = 0.87) at all time points.

In addition, the philosophies of life mindset was measured with two items derived from Norton and his colleagues [ 40 ] at all time points. First, “Is life short, or long?” and second, “Is life easy, or hard?”. This resulted in four different life philosophies: (1) life is long and easy, (2) life is short and easy, (3) life is long and hard, and (4) life is short and hard [ 40 ]. In the present study, a change score was calculated by assigning participants to one of the following two groups. First, an optimistic change group was created including those who stayed in the life-is-long-and-easy philosophy or changed to this philosophy at posttest. Second, a pessimistic change group consists of those who stayed in one of the other three philosophies or changed to one of those three philosophies (i.e., life-is-short-and-easy, long-and-hard, or short-and-hard).

To assess changes over time, the same statistical analyses were conducted as described in Study 1. In addition, chi-square tests and planned contrasts were used to examine the changes in life philosophies over time and in relation to mental wellbeing between conditions.

Results of multilevel growth curve modeling showed that the stress-is-enhancing-mindset significantly increased in the stress mindset condition, but mainly compared to the philosophies of life condition, γ 11  = 0.14, S.E. = 0.06, t (253) = 2.50, p  = .013; γ 21 = -0.19, S.E. = 0.08, t (253) = -2.35 p  = .019, and only marginally compared to control γ 11  = 0.09, S.E. = 0.06, t (253) = 1.48, p  = .140; γ 21 = -0.16, S.E. = 0.08, t (253) = -1.93, p  = .055 (see Table  2 ). Participants stress-is-enhancing mindset increased most strongly directly after reading the text ( d  = 0.59; see Fig.  2 ) and gradually decreased up to 1-week follow-up ( d  = 0.15).

A Pearson chi-square test revealed that most participants endorsed the life-is-short-and-hard philosophy (37.5%), while the popularity of the life-is-long-and-easy philosophy (22.1%) was comparable to having a short-and-easy (21.3%) and long-and-hard philosophy (19.1%), c 2 (1) = 4.02, p  = .045. At posttest, mainly those in the philosophies of life mindset condition changed their life philosophy to long-and-easy from 19.1% at pretest to 36.2% at posttest and 38.6% at follow-up (see Table  2 ). However, optimistic changes did not significantly differ between conditions at posttest, c 2 (2) = 2.80, p  = .247, or follow-up, c 2 (2) = 2.00, p  = .368, probably a result of an optimistic change in the control condition as well.

In line with expectations, mental wellbeing was significantly higher among those endorsing a life-is-long-and-easy philosophy at pretest ( M  = 3.47, SD  = 0.57) compared to those endorsing a life-is-short-and-hard philosophy ( M  = 2.79, SD  = 0.97), t (79) = 3.99, p  < .001 (see Table  3 ). Similar results were found at posttest, t (132) = 2.73, p  = .009, and at 1-week follow-up, t (119) = 3.27, p  = .001. However, mental wellbeing was not significantly higher among participants who optimistically changed their philosophies of life mindset directly after reading the educational text, t (134) = 1.38, p  = .171. By contrast, one week after reading the text, those who optimistically changed towards a life-is-long-and-easy philosophy had higher levels of mental wellbeing ( M  = 3.59, SD  = 0.75) compared to those with a pessimistic change ( M  = 3.15, SD  = 0.96), t (121) = 2.50, p  = .014. Nevertheless, when comparing the three conditions in multilevel analyses, no linear or quadratic changes for mental wellbeing were found in favor of any of the conditions ( γ s < 0.12, p s > 0.103).

Study 2 adds to prior literature [ 36 , 41 , 45 ] that a stress mindset can also be changed by reading an educational text. Effect sizes of Study 1 and 2 are comparable, but direct comparison between a manipulative video and text is needed to examine whether and when a certain delivery mode is preferred in order to change one’s mindset successfully. Expanding on prior results, the current study also showed that participants who held a life-is-long-and-easy mindset possessed higher levels of mental wellbeing rather than sole happiness and life satisfaction [ 40 ].

However, the manipulation did not led to a significant change towards a life-is-long-and-easy mindset in comparison with control. Additionally, mental wellbeing did not significantly increase more over time in favor of any of the experimental conditions which is in line with Study 1. Brief educational videos and texts seem, therefore, not sufficient to change one’s mindset in a way that it could enhance people’s mental wellbeing. A possible explanation might be the relatively low number of participants per condition which might have resulted in reduced statistical power. More likely is that the text about personality in the control condition – perhaps in combination with completing surveys about mindsets and mental wellbeing – might unintentionally have been effective in the control condition as indicated by more favorable life philosophies and increased mental wellbeing over time within this group. For example, the recurring assessments about life philosophies might have triggered respondents in the control condition to reflect on whether life is long, short, easy or hard. Unconscious beliefs or deliberate reflection might have evoked a shift in mindset, and might have limited sufficient comparison between the three conditions.

Another explanation is that the baseline beliefs about the philosophy of life were already more favorable in the current study compared to baseline beliefs in the study of Norton and colleagues [ 40 ]. More specifically, less participants in the current study believed that life is short and hard (38% vs. 45–61%) and more participants thought of it as long and easy (22% vs. 6–15%). Thus, fewer participants in the present study had room to optimistically change their philosophies of life mindset – and assumed corresponding levels of mental wellbeing – compared to prior research. Taken together, Study 2 implies that a stress mindset can be changed with minimal effort, but that the use of simple texts are insufficient to change people’s mental wellbeing.

figure 2

Average changes in mental wellbeing and stress mindset by text condition (Study 2)

General discussion

The current study adds to prior research by examining the efficacy of changing people’s mindset beyond emotional wellbeing and performance, by including not only a stress mindset condition but also determining the possibilities of changing one’s life philosophy mindset, and by including different modes of delivery, namely educational videos and texts. The results confirm that most people endorse a stress-is-debilitating mindset and a life-is-short-and-hard mindset. The study also implies that a stress mindset can be changed quite easily, with an educational video or text, and that holding a life-is-long-and-easy mindset is associated with enhanced mental wellbeing. However, we did neither find evidence for a sustainable change in mindsets nor an improvement in people’s mental wellbeing over time compared to control. In fact, these results seem intertwined as participants’ shift towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset or a life-is-long-and-easy mindset receded within the first week after the manipulation, a time span which might have been too short for the shift in mindsets to have an effect on people’s mental wellbeing [ 25 , 26 ]. Since flourishing mental wellbeing is a conjunction of expedient feelings, thoughts and behaviors, the impact of a newly acquired mindset on mental wellbeing related behaviors might become visible only after people have embodied this mindset in everyday life. This is supported by the finding that those who possessed more positive mindsets at baseline showed higher levels of mental wellbeing when compared to those who did not.

A possible explanation for not finding a sustainable change in mindsets is that the manipulation tasks may have been too easy for participants, resulting in minor or temporary feelings of cognitive dissonance. Theoretically, a change in peoples mindset could lead to inconsistencies when the newly acquired belief encounter old beliefs or behaviors [ 29 ]. To re-enforce harmony, people are likely to change these dissonant beliefs and behaviors by either adapting towards the newly acquired mindset (e.g., “Life is long and easy, so why shouldn’t I just take the time to read the newspaper this morning”), or to discard the new mindset and revert to their initial beliefs and behaviors (e.g., “I was right, life is indeed short and hard, so I really start with my bucket-list now”). The effort-justification paradigm in particular states that people are more likely to adapt their old beliefs into a new mindset when this mindset is obtained by engaging in more unpleasant and effortful activities [ 30 ].

In line with this, a previous study maintained a beneficial shift in participants stress mindset up to two weeks after the manipulation [ 63 ] by using a more demanding experiment that consisted of watching a series of videos, two mental imagery exercises and a writing task about the positive consequenses of stress. In contrast, an experimental study determining the malleability of people’s healthy eating mindset revealed that a more intensive workshop in which participants experienced the sensory attributes of healthy nutrition (e.g. indulgent, pleasurable, social) was only successful directly after the workshop and not at follow-up [ 39 ]. Thus, the current knowledge yield contradicting results regarding the dose-response relationship of interventions targeting changes in mindsets. Indeed, there is also some promising evidence that simple educational text interventions can be effective in sustainably changing mindsets [ 38 , 39 ]. Hence, these inconsistencies in the dose-response relationship limit a firm conclusion about people’s effort needed when aiming for a lasting change in mindsets.

Another possible explanation for not finding a sustainable change in mindsets and assumed corresponding flourishing mental health could be the unilateral exposure to the mindsets under study. Life can be hard and stressful at times, and certain situations legitimate a debilitating view on stress or life in general [ 64 ]. Participants might have disregarded the merely positive side of stress or life manipulations and may have considered it as unrealistic based on personal negative experiences. More balanced educational interventions displaying more naturalistic beliefs about stress and life philosophy might promote a change in people’s mindsets more deliberately and sustainably [ 41 , 65 ]. For instance, a prior study demonstrated that a sole focus on either positive or negative outcomes of stress reduced the use of effective coping strategies in comparison with those who learned about a balanced view on stress [ 65 ]. Such balanced views could also facilitate cognitive dissonance in participants because they could become more consciously aware of the gap between their own black-and-white beliefs versus more beneficial and nuanced beliefs.

Limitations

The two experiments should be interpreted in light of the following limitations. Firstly, the current sample sizes were sufficient but minimal, especially after excluding participants who did not watch the manipulative video or read the manipulative text. Secondly, participants were all recruited via the network of several students from the same academic study program, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Lastly, the manipulative texts have not been tested in a pilot study, for example by using the think-aloud method [ 66 , 67 ]. As a result, it is unclear how participants understood, interpreted and processed the information.

Directions for future research

More research is needed to establish effective ways to sustainably change people’s beliefs which could facilitate more eudaimonic behaviors and subsequent mental wellbeing. A first step is to encourage researchers to use longer follow-up periods within mindset research to examine how long a change in mindset can last with associated benefits for people’s mental health. To date, the majority of studies are cross-sectional or lack follow-up measurements after an experiment [ 36 , 42 , 45 , 68 , 69 ]. A second avenue for future mindset studies is to investigate the ideal parameters of manipulations to facilitate sustainable changes in mindsets. Thus, comparing more different manipulation tasks such as varying between more or less effort and pleasurable activities. Examples are exposure to a severe stress activity or solving impossible puzzles before a reading and writing task about the positive consequences of stress or life philosophy and a repetition of brief educational videos, texts or workshops with more balanced knowledge on stress or the philosophy of life. A third direction for future research is to conduct ecological momentary assessment studies to examine how people perceive stressful situations before, during and after a manipulative video, text or intervention program in the real-life context. Finally, examples from nudging and in particularly priming research in other fields such as education, might inspire research within the field of psychological mindsets as well [ 70 ].

In conclusion, motivating people to change their beliefs towards a stress-is-enhancing mindset and in particular a life-is-long-and-easy mindset could be a fruitful direction to enhance mental wellbeing in the general population. In particular can the stress mindset be changed relatively easy using simple video and text manipulations albeit more effort is needed to change mindsets sustainably to ensure a change towards flourishing mental health as well. Future mindset scholars should prioritize the use of longitudinal assessments along a wide variety of simple and advanced mindset interventions. Researchers in this field should also consider mental wellbeing as primary outcome rather than sole aspects of emotional wellbeing.

Availability of data and materials

The data used for this study is available via https://doi.org/10.17026/SS/DFEXWO . Questions about these open source data files can be addressed to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following students for recruiting participants for the studies conducted: Helen Brand, Morticia Boroch, Miriam Kebernik, Felizia Wellinger, Pia Hulsmann, Lara Watermann, Natascha Berden, Jan-Niklas Girnth, Marleen Jansen, Katharina Meyer, Clemens Cholewa, Sare Danaci, Nils Hatger.

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CS and MSD wrote the manuscript, CS was involved in the data collection under supervision of MSD, MSD performed the statistical analyses. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Schreiber, C., Schotanus-Dijkstra, M. Enhancing mental wellbeing by changing mindsets? Results from two randomized controlled trials. BMC Psychol 12 , 77 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01470-2

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Peace of mind: The science and philosophy of mental health

Interview with Faculty Fellow Anya Plutynski

What is mental health? Expert responses from the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration quickly turn to a discussion of mental illness . The terms have not always been conflated. “Mental health is not — or not only — the mere absence of mental illness,” says Anya Plutynski, professor of philosophy and a scholar of the history of science. Her research on early 20th-century “mental hygiene” practitioners shows that some providers of the era operated under a definition of mental health that was equally concerned with identifying factors and skills that promoted mental health and prevented symptoms of mental illness from arising. Over time, however, their ideas have been forgotten or dismissed as bad science. “It’s common for folks to think that science makes progress and so ‘new’ ideas are better,” she says, whether or not those assumptions have been evaluated.   With her new book project, “Making Mental Health,” Plutynski, a Faculty Fellow in the Center for the Humanities, is not only writing a narrative history of the concept of mental health but shedding new light on larger debates in the philosophy of science concerning evidence, explanation and the role of values in science. Below, she offers an early look at her book-in-progress.

Briefly, what is your book about?

I’m writing about the history of the concept of mental health and of the history of ideals for a science of mental health promotion. Different scientists and clinicians have endorsed very different ideals for a science of mental health over the course of the 20th century. A common assumption is that science makes progress by getting rid of bias and becoming more “objective.” I’m curious what this means in a context where reliance on individual judgment, clinician’s and client’s subjective reports, case studies and value-laden ideals like “resilience” or “emotional stability” seem impossible to avoid.

When and in what context did the idea of “mental health” become widely popular?

This is a tricky question to answer because analogous concepts were “widely popular” in the early 20th century, used interchangeably with “mental health,” but not the same. “Mental hygiene” was a popular topic of concern for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, educators and the general public in the early 20th century, well into the 1940s and ’50s. Many folks dismiss this work as “junk science,” because many of the ideas sound so confused or unfamiliar to us now, but one of the central arguments of my book is that this is a mistake.

research essays on mental health

The concept of mental health in clinical research has become progressively “narrower,” and while there have been improvements in our scientific understanding of mental health and illness, this came with a loss. Clinical research today often simply identifies mental health with absence of symptoms of mental illness, in contrast to a more expansive concept of the sort endorsed by many “mental hygienists.” While we might disagree with their language or methods, many of the capacities they identified as key to “mental hygiene” have been rediscovered and relabeled today as impulse control, higher order cognition, goal-setting, or social and emotional education. One of my aims is to explore how this concept evolved over time, alongside efforts at developing a science of mental health promotion.

As a philosopher, what kinds of questions about mental health/emotional well-being are you asking in this book?

Psychologists, economists, sociologists, geographers and anthropologists who study “well-being” are a pretty motley group. They’re not all concerned with the same thing, and many of them would deny that they are concerned with the “emotions” or “mental health.” Many economists, for instance, are concerned with developing international measures of “well-being” to address policy questions.

My book is concerned with something different. (If you’re curious, several philosophers have already written books on the science of well-being: Anna Alexandrova wrote a book called A Philosophy for the Science of Well-being, where she discusses what well-being scientists are measuring.) The kind of research I’m interested in is research that informs clinical mental health care. As a historian and philosopher of science, my questions are about what clinicians and scientists know, and how we know about it. 

The kind of research I’m interested in is research that informs clinical mental health care. As a historian and philosopher of science, my questions are about what clinicians and scientists know, and how we know about it.

Your last book, Explaining Cancer: Finding Order in Disorder , examines conceptual and methodological challenges that arise in cancer research. How did you move from cancer to psychology? What drew your interest to this particular area of human health?

I spent about 12 years researching and writing about cancer. It was fascinating but also a difficult topic to both keep up with, and frankly, remain optimistic about.

I turned to mental health because I found it fascinating and because many of my students were interested in it. While there’s a lot of philosophical work about mental illness, there is relatively little on mental health, and most philosophers of science writing on this topic ignore clinical research or practice. This led me to start reading and taking classes in clinical psychotherapy and interviewing clinical psychotherapists.

I’ve become fascinated with what mental health care does, and how, as well as how we know. Alleviation of symptoms of disorder is the typical goal of randomized clinical trials for most talk therapies, and there are protocols that work for these purposes. But what many of the clinicians I interviewed were doing in therapy was not reducible to following a protocol. Indeed, it turns out that the most effective clinicians are not perfectly “compliant” with protocols. Their work is client-specific and ranges over a variety of goals — identifying and communicating about emotions, resolving conflict, mourning loss, identifying and healing trauma or simply gaining some critical distance on one’s life.

I started to wonder if the “goal” of psychotherapy is prevention, rather than treatment. Psychotherapists are not like physicians, alleviating symptoms, but more like physical therapists — healing injuries and developing capacities to prevent symptoms from arising in the first place. This led me to wonder about models for thinking about effective mental health care, where they come from and how the science of mental health care evolved.   

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  • Published: 14 February 2024

A research agenda for mental health in sub-Saharan Africa

  • Tholene Sodi   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7592-5145 1 ,
  • Melanie Abas 2 ,
  • Mohammed Abdulaziz 3 ,
  • Action Amos 4 , 5 ,
  • Rochelle A. Burgess 6 , 7 ,
  • Charlotte Hanlon   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7937-3226 8 , 9 ,
  • Adelard Kakunze 3 ,
  • Lily Kpobi   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7074-5804 10 ,
  • Crick Lund 8 , 11 ,
  • Kibachio J. Mwangi 12 ,
  • Victoria Mutiso 13 ,
  • Charlene Sunkel 14 ,
  • Peter Yaro   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6977-6550 15 &
  • Louise Arseneault 16  

Nature Medicine ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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As with other parts of the world, African countries are dealing with the repercussions of rising rates of mental health conditions , especially among young people 1 . Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have limited financial resources to address these challenges while facing other pressing priorities such as food insecurity and malnutrition, rapid urbanization, infectious disease outbreaks and prolonged conflicts 2 . Mental health research continues to be underfunded and mental health services are a neglected aspect of healthcare throughout the continent.

A 2-day workshop was initiated jointly by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) to explore the development of a strategic research agenda in this area, with a focus on life course and multisectoral approaches to mental health research and interventions. This event brought together mental health researchers, policymakers, implementers and people with lived experience of mental health conditions from many parts of Africa and beyond. This initiative was rooted in two previous international meetings addressing sustainable development and social determinants of mental health in low- and middle-income countries.

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COVID-10 Mental Disorders Collaborators. Lancet 398 , 1700–1712 (2021).

Article   Google Scholar  

United Nations. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 https://bit.ly/494Zs3o (2022).

Chibanda, D. et al. Lancet Psychiatry 8 , 553–555 (2021).

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MacDougall, A. G. et al. Int. J. Ment. Health 51 , 32–60 (2022).

Africa CDC. Non-Communicable Diseases, Injuries Prevention and Control, and Mental Health Promotion Strategy (2022–2026) https://bit.ly/3wecfla (2022).

The Academy of Medical Sciences. Advancing Multisectoral and Life-Course Approaches in Mental Health Research: Workshop Report https://bit.ly/42p9nOB (2022).

Lund, C. et al. Lancet Psychiatry 5 , 357–369 (2018).

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Academy of Science of South Africa and the UK Academy of Medical Sciences for organizing the workshop.

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Authors and affiliations.

SAMRC-DSI/NRF-UL Research Chair in Mental Health and Society, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa

Tholene Sodi

Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

Melanie Abas

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mohammed Abdulaziz & Adelard Kakunze

Pan African Network of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities Uganda, Kampala, Uganda

Action Amos

Centre for Clinical Brain Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

UCL Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK

Rochelle A. Burgess

Department of Social Work, Community Development, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

Centre for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

Charlotte Hanlon & Crick Lund

Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Charlotte Hanlon

Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

World Health Organization South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Kibachio J. Mwangi

Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya

Victoria Mutiso

Global Mental Health Peer Network, Paarl, South Africa

Charlene Sunkel

BasicNeeds-Ghana, Tamale, Ghana

Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

Louise Arseneault

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Correspondence to Tholene Sodi .

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Sodi, T., Abas, M., Abdulaziz, M. et al. A research agenda for mental health in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Med (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02779-6

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Mental Health Care During the COVID-19 Era Remains Inaccessible to Many Distressed U.S. Adults

National trends underscore a public health need to broaden outpatient mental health care access to more distressed, older, and unemployed adults.

U.S. adults experienced considerable psychological distress and adverse mental health effects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Based on insurance claims, mental health care provider surveys, and electronic health records, the research further revealed a decline in in-person outpatient mental health visits during the acute phase of the pandemic. Findings are reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine .

“The trends and patterns we observed in the United States align with reports globally concluding that several mental health problems, including depression, and generalized anxiety disorder, have become more prevalent during than before the pandemic,” said Mark Olfson , MD, MPH, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and Dollard Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine & Law at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons .

To characterize the psychological distress experienced, determine the level of outpatient mental health care, and describe patterns of in-person versus telemental health care, the researchers studied the responses of adults from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Component, a nationally representative survey of over 85,000 people. Psychological distress was measured with a six-point scale range and outpatient mental health care use was determined via computer-assisted personal interviews.

The rate of serious psychological distress among adults increased from 3.5 percent to 4.2 percent from 2018 to 2021. While outpatient mental health care increased overall as well—from 11.2 percent to 12.4 percent—the rate among adults with serious psychological distress decreased from 46.5 percent to 40.4 percent. Young adults aged 18 to 44 years significantly increased outpatient mental health care but this pattern was not observed for middle-aged adults aged 45 to 64 years and older adults aged >65 years. Similarly, more employed adults reported outpatient mental health treatment care compared to the unemployed.

In 2021, 33 percent of mental health outpatients received at least one video visit. The likelihood of receiving in-person, telephone, or video mental health care varied across sociodemographic groups; percentages of video care were higher for younger adults than for middle-aged or older adults, women compared with men, college graduates compared with adults with less education, the seriously distressed, lower-income, unemployed, and rural patients.

“Thanks to a rapid pivot to telemental health care, there was an overall increase during the pandemic of adults receiving outpatient mental health care in the United States.  However, the percentage of adults with serious psychological distress who received outpatient mental health treatment significantly declined.  Several groups also had difficulty accessing telemental health care including older individuals and those with lower incomes and less education,” observed Olfson. “These patterns underscore critical challenges to extend the reach and access of telemental health services via easy-to-use and affordable service options.” 

“Increasing our understanding of the patterns we observed in terms of access to outpatient mental health care including in-person, telephone-administered, and internet-administered outpatient mental health services could inform ongoing public policy discussions and clinical interventions,” noted Olfson. “Identifying low-cost means of connecting lower-income patients to telemental health should be a priority, as well as increasing public investment to make access to high-speed broadband universal.”

“The national profile of adults who receive outpatient mental health care via telemental health—the younger adult, the employed, higher-income, and privately insured adults, raises concerns about disparities in access to virtual mental health care,” said Olfson. “Unless progress is made in reducing these barriers, primary care clinicians will continue to encounter challenges in connecting their older, unemployed, and lower-income patients to video-delivered outpatient mental health care.”

Co-authors are Chandler McClellan and Samuel H. Zuvekas, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Melanie Wall, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; and Carlos Blanco, National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Mental Health Research Paper Topics

Academic Writing Service

Exploring the wide array of mental health research paper topics can be an enriching experience for students studying health sciences. This subject matter is not only relevant but is also critically important in today’s context, given the rising prevalence of mental health issues in society. In this guide, we will navigate through a comprehensive list of potential topics, categorized into ten major areas of mental health. Additionally, this page provides expert advice on how to choose and delve into these topics effectively, as well as guidance on constructing a well-written mental health research paper. As a supplementary service, we also present iResearchNet’s professional writing offerings. iResearchNet specializes in providing students with high-quality, custom-written research papers on any topic of their choice. With a potent combination of expert degree-holding writers, meticulous research, and adherence to the highest standards of academic integrity, iResearchNet offers unparalleled support to students aiming to excel in their academic endeavors.

100 Mental Health Research Paper Topics

Embarking on the exploration of mental health research paper topics presents an incredible opportunity to delve into diverse areas of study and reveal intriguing insights. From understanding the human psyche to unraveling the intricate workings of various mental disorders, this domain offers a wide array of research avenues. In this section, we present a comprehensive list of 100 mental health research paper topics, neatly organized into ten major categories. This catalog is designed to cater to different interests, offer fresh perspectives, and stimulate thought-provoking discussions.

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  • The impact of social media on mental health
  • The psychological effects of bullying
  • Role of personality traits in mental health
  • Nature vs. nurture debate in psychology
  • Psychological effects of long-term stress
  • The role of psychology in pain management
  • The impact of sleep disorders on mental health
  • Effects of meditation on mental health
  • The psychology of decision-making
  • Understanding cognitive biases
  • Impact of parenting styles on children’s mental health
  • Childhood trauma and its long-term effects
  • Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • The role of school environments in child mental health
  • Adolescent depression: Causes and effects
  • The impact of divorce on children
  • Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Eating disorders in adolescents
  • Impact of physical activity on children’s mental health
  • Childhood anxiety disorders
  • Impacts of work stress on mental health
  • Understanding Bipolar Disorder
  • Adult PTSD and its management
  • Role of exercise in mental health maintenance
  • The link between adult obesity and mental health
  • Alcoholism and its mental health implications
  • Understanding Schizophrenia
  • Mental health impacts of sexual assault
  • The effect of childlessness on mental health
  • The role of religion and spirituality in mental health
  • Mental health issues in aging population
  • Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Role of family in elder mental health
  • Depression in the elderly
  • Cognitive decline in aging: Prevention and management
  • The impact of retirement on mental health
  • Mental health effects of elder abuse
  • The role of social interactions in elder mental health
  • Understanding Parkinson’s Disease
  • Dementia and mental health
  • Global mental health policies: A comparative analysis
  • Role of mental health legislation in patient rights
  • Impact of health insurance policies on mental health services
  • Mental health in prisons: Policy implications
  • The impact of mental health stigma on policy making
  • Mental health policies in schools
  • Workplace mental health policies
  • Mental health parity laws
  • Policy implications of mental health in homelessness
  • Impact of COVID-19 on mental health policies
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in mental health
  • Role of medication in mental health treatment
  • Efficacy of group therapy in mental health
  • Role of art therapy in mental health treatment
  • Understanding Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
  • The role of lifestyle changes in mental health treatment
  • Psychodynamic therapy in mental health
  • The use of virtual reality in mental health treatment
  • Mindfulness-based therapies in mental health
  • Role of family therapy in mental health treatment
  • Understanding personality disorders
  • The psychopathology of addiction
  • Eating disorders: Causes, impacts, and treatments
  • Psychopathology of self-harm behaviors
  • Understanding anxiety disorders
  • The psychopathology of suicidal behavior
  • Psychopathology of mood disorders
  • Understanding obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • The psychopathology of paranoia and delusional disorders
  • Impact of traumatic experiences on psychopathology
  • Impact of job satisfaction on mental health
  • Role of organizational culture in employee mental health
  • Mental health implications of job burnout
  • The role of work-life balance in mental health
  • Understanding the concept of ‘Blue Monday’
  • Mental health implications of remote work
  • The role of employee assistance programs in mental health
  • Mental health effects of workplace harassment
  • Impact of job insecurity on mental health
  • The role of workplace wellness programs in mental health
  • Cross-cultural perspectives on mental health
  • The impact of cultural stigma on mental health outcomes
  • Cultural variations in mental health treatments
  • Understanding mental health in indigenous populations
  • Mental health impacts of acculturation
  • The role of cultural competence in mental health services
  • Culture-bound syndromes
  • Impact of cultural beliefs on mental health
  • Role of language in mental health contexts
  • Cross-cultural communication in mental health care
  • Role of schools in mental health education
  • Impact of mental health literacy on outcomes
  • The role of media in mental health education
  • Mental health promotion in communities
  • Importance of mental health education in medical curricula
  • The role of peer educators in mental health promotion
  • Impact of stigma reduction campaigns on mental health
  • The role of mental health first aid
  • The use of technology in mental health education
  • Mental health education for parents

As we culminate this extensive list of mental health research paper topics, it is essential to remember that each topic presents a unique chance to broaden our understanding of mental health and contribute to this important field. As aspiring health science students, you have the power to make a difference in enhancing mental health awareness and outcomes. As you traverse this exciting journey, always remember that research is not merely a pursuit of knowledge, but a powerful tool for instigating change. Embrace the opportunity with curiosity, passion, and determination, and let your research pave the way for a mentally healthier world.

Choosing Mental Health Research Paper Topics

Choosing a compelling and relevant mental health research paper topic is crucial for creating a meaningful and impactful study. To assist you in this process, we have gathered expert advice from professionals in the field of mental health research. Consider the following ten tips to guide you in selecting an engaging and significant topic for your research:

  • Identify Current Mental Health Issues : Stay updated on the latest developments and trends in mental health research. Explore current issues, emerging challenges, and unanswered questions within the field. This will help you select a topic that is relevant, timely, and has the potential for making a meaningful contribution.
  • Reflect on Personal Interests : Consider your own passions and interests within the broad field of mental health. Reflect on the areas that resonate with you the most. Researching a topic that you are genuinely interested in will fuel your motivation and dedication throughout the research process.
  • Consult Academic Journals and Publications : Explore reputable academic journals and publications dedicated to mental health research. Reading articles and studies within your area of interest will provide insights into existing research gaps, ongoing debates, and potential areas for further exploration.
  • Analyze Existing Literature : Conduct a thorough literature review to identify key themes, theories, and research findings in your chosen area of mental health. Understanding the current body of knowledge will help you narrow down your research focus and identify research gaps that need to be addressed.
  • Consider the Population of Interest : Mental health research encompasses various populations, such as children, adolescents, adults, or specific demographic groups. Consider the population you want to focus on and explore their unique mental health challenges, interventions, or outcomes.
  • Examine Cultural and Social Factors : Mental health is influenced by cultural and social factors. Investigate how cultural norms, societal expectations, or environmental contexts impact mental health outcomes. Understanding these factors will add depth and richness to your research.
  • Think Interdisciplinary : Mental health is a multidisciplinary field that intersects with psychology, sociology, neuroscience, public health, and more. Consider integrating perspectives from other disciplines to gain a comprehensive understanding of mental health issues and approaches to addressing them.
  • Explore Innovative Interventions and Technologies : Investigate novel interventions, therapies, or technologies that are emerging in the field of mental health. Exploring innovative approaches can lead to exciting research opportunities and contribute to advancements in mental health care.
  • Address Stigmatized or Understudied Topics : Mental health encompasses a wide range of conditions and experiences, some of which may be stigmatized or underrepresented in research. Consider topics that address the mental health needs of marginalized populations or shed light on less-discussed mental health conditions.
  • Seek Guidance and Collaboration : Consult with your professors, mentors, or peers who specialize in mental health research. Seek their guidance in selecting a research topic and consider opportunities for collaboration. Collaborative research can provide valuable insights and support throughout the research process.

By incorporating these expert tips into your topic selection process, you can choose a mental health research paper topic that is not only academically rigorous but also personally meaningful. Remember to strike a balance between your interests, the existing body of knowledge, and the potential for making a significant impact in the field of mental health research. With a well-chosen topic, you will embark on a rewarding research journey that contributes to the understanding and well-being of individuals with mental health concerns.

How to Write a Mental Health Research Paper

Writing a mental health research paper requires careful planning, critical thinking, and effective communication of your findings. To help you navigate this process successfully, we have compiled ten essential tips to guide you in crafting a well-structured and impactful paper:

  • Define Your Research Question : Begin by clearly defining your research question or objective. This will serve as the foundation for your paper, guiding your literature review, methodology, and analysis.
  • Conduct a Thorough Literature Review : Familiarize yourself with existing research and theories related to your topic through a comprehensive literature review. This will help you identify gaps in the literature, build on existing knowledge, and situate your research within the broader context of mental health.
  • Select an Appropriate Methodology : Choose a research methodology that aligns with your research question and objectives. Consider whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches are best suited for your study. Justify your choice and outline your methodology clearly.
  • Ethical Considerations : Ensure that your research adheres to ethical guidelines and protects the rights and well-being of participants. Obtain necessary approvals from ethical review boards and maintain confidentiality and anonymity when reporting your findings.
  • Collect and Analyze Data : Collect data using appropriate methods, whether through surveys, interviews, observations, or existing datasets. Analyze your data using sound statistical techniques or qualitative analysis methods, depending on your research design.
  • Structure Your Paper : Organize your mental health research paper into sections, including an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion. Use headings and subheadings to clearly delineate each section and guide the reader through your paper.
  • Craft a Compelling Introduction : Begin your paper with an engaging introduction that captures the reader’s attention and provides the necessary background information. Clearly state your research question, the significance of your study, and the gaps you aim to address.
  • Interpret Your Findings : In the results section, present your findings objectively and concisely. Use tables, graphs, or figures to enhance clarity and provide a comprehensive overview of your results. Interpret your findings in light of your research question and existing literature.
  • Engage in a Thoughtful Discussion : In the discussion section, critically analyze and interpret your results, discussing their implications for theory, practice, and future research. Compare your findings with previous studies and identify areas of agreement or divergence.
  • Conclude with Key Takeaways : Summarize your main findings, restate the significance of your study, and discuss potential avenues for further research. Highlight the contributions your research makes to the field of mental health and offer practical implications for mental health professionals or policymakers.

Additional Tips:

  • Use clear and concise language, avoiding jargon whenever possible. Define any technical terms or acronyms for clarity.
  • Properly cite all sources using a recognized citation style, such as APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard, to give credit to the original authors and avoid plagiarism.
  • Seek feedback from professors, mentors, or peers to refine your writing and ensure the clarity and coherence of your paper.
  • Revise and edit your paper multiple times to polish your arguments, improve sentence structure, and eliminate grammatical errors.

By following these tips, you can confidently navigate the process of writing a mental health research paper. Remember to maintain a logical flow, support your arguments with evidence, and engage in critical analysis to contribute to the understanding and advancement of mental health research.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

100+ Mental Health Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring mental health topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of mental health-related research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

  • Mood disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Psychotic disorders
  • Personality disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance-related disorders

Research topic idea mega list

Mood Disorders

Research in mood disorders can help understand their causes and improve treatment methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • The impact of genetics on the susceptibility to depression
  • Efficacy of antidepressants vs. cognitive behavioural therapy
  • The role of gut microbiota in mood regulation
  • Cultural variations in the experience and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder: Environmental factors and treatment
  • The link between depression and chronic illnesses
  • Exercise as an adjunct treatment for mood disorders
  • Hormonal changes and mood swings in postpartum women
  • Stigma around mood disorders in the workplace
  • Suicidal tendencies among patients with severe mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Research topics in this category can potentially explore the triggers, coping mechanisms, or treatment efficacy for anxiety disorders.

  • The relationship between social media and anxiety
  • Exposure therapy effectiveness in treating phobias
  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder in children: Early signs and interventions
  • The role of mindfulness in treating anxiety
  • Genetics and heritability of anxiety disorders
  • The link between anxiety disorders and heart disease
  • Anxiety prevalence in LGBTQ+ communities
  • Caffeine consumption and its impact on anxiety levels
  • The economic cost of untreated anxiety disorders
  • Virtual Reality as a treatment method for anxiety disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Within this space, your research topic could potentially aim to investigate the underlying factors and treatment possibilities for psychotic disorders.

  • Early signs and interventions in adolescent psychosis
  • Brain imaging techniques for diagnosing psychotic disorders
  • The efficacy of antipsychotic medication
  • The role of family history in psychotic disorders
  • Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of psychotic disorders
  • Co-morbidity of psychotic and mood disorders
  • The relationship between substance abuse and psychotic disorders
  • Art therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia
  • Public perception and stigma around psychotic disorders
  • Hospital vs. community-based care for psychotic disorders

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Personality Disorders

Research topics within in this area could delve into the identification, management, and social implications of personality disorders.

  • Long-term outcomes of borderline personality disorder
  • Antisocial personality disorder and criminal behaviour
  • The role of early life experiences in developing personality disorders
  • Narcissistic personality disorder in corporate leaders
  • Gender differences in personality disorders
  • Diagnosis challenges for Cluster A personality disorders
  • Emotional intelligence and its role in treating personality disorders
  • Psychotherapy methods for treating personality disorders
  • Personality disorders in the elderly population
  • Stigma and misconceptions about personality disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Within this space, research topics could focus on the causes, symptoms, or treatment of disorders like OCD and hoarding.

  • OCD and its relationship with anxiety disorders
  • Cognitive mechanisms behind hoarding behaviour
  • Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for severe OCD
  • The impact of OCD on academic performance in students
  • Role of family and social networks in treating OCD
  • Alternative treatments for hoarding disorder
  • Childhood onset OCD: Diagnosis and treatment
  • OCD and religious obsessions
  • The impact of OCD on family dynamics
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Causes and treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research topics in this area could explore the triggers, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD. Here are some thought starters to get you moving.

  • PTSD in military veterans: Coping mechanisms and treatment
  • Childhood trauma and adult onset PTSD
  • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) efficacy
  • Role of emotional support animals in treating PTSD
  • Gender differences in PTSD occurrence and treatment
  • Effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD patients
  • PTSD and substance abuse: A dual diagnosis
  • First responders and rates of PTSD
  • Domestic violence as a cause of PTSD
  • The neurobiology of PTSD

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Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This category of mental health aims to better understand disorders like Autism and ADHD and their impact on day-to-day life.

  • Early diagnosis and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • ADHD medication and its impact on academic performance
  • Parental coping strategies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Autism and gender: Diagnosis disparities
  • The role of diet in managing ADHD symptoms
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders in the criminal justice system
  • Genetic factors influencing Autism
  • ADHD and its relationship with sleep disorders
  • Educational adaptations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders and stigma in schools

Eating Disorders

Research topics within this space can explore the psychological, social, and biological aspects of eating disorders.

  • The role of social media in promoting eating disorders
  • Family dynamics and their impact on anorexia
  • Biological basis of binge-eating disorder
  • Treatment outcomes for bulimia nervosa
  • Eating disorders in athletes
  • Media portrayal of body image and its impact
  • Eating disorders and gender: Are men underdiagnosed?
  • Cultural variations in eating disorders
  • The relationship between obesity and eating disorders
  • Eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community

Substance-Related Disorders

Research topics in this category can focus on addiction mechanisms, treatment options, and social implications.

  • Efficacy of rehabilitation centres for alcohol addiction
  • The role of genetics in substance abuse
  • Substance abuse and its impact on family dynamics
  • Prescription drug abuse among the elderly
  • Legalisation of marijuana and its impact on substance abuse rates
  • Alcoholism and its relationship with liver diseases
  • Opioid crisis: Causes and solutions
  • Substance abuse education in schools: Is it effective?
  • Harm reduction strategies for drug abuse
  • Co-occurring mental health disorders in substance abusers

Research topic evaluator

Choosing A Research Topic

These research topic ideas we’ve covered here serve as thought starters to help you explore different areas within mental health. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

It’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis . Think about the relevance of the topic, its feasibility , and the resources available to you, including time, data, and academic guidance. Also, consider your own interest and expertise in the subject, as this will sustain you through the research process.

Always consult with your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic aligns with academic requirements and offers a meaningful contribution to the field. If you need help choosing a topic, consider our private coaching service.

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Good morning everyone. This are very patent topics for research in neuroscience. Thank you for guidance

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What if everything is important, original and intresting? as in Neuroscience. I find myself overwhelmd with tens of relveant areas and within each area many optional topics. I ask myself if importance (for example – able to treat people suffering) is more relevant than what intrest me, and on the other hand if what advance me further in my career should not also be a consideration?

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Mental Health Essay

Mental Health Essay

Introduction

Mental health, often overshadowed by its physical counterpart, is an intricate and essential aspect of human existence. It envelops our emotions, psychological state, and social well-being, shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and interactions. With the complexities of modern life—constant connectivity, societal pressures, personal expectations, and the frenzied pace of technological advancements—mental well-being has become increasingly paramount. Historically, conversations around this topic have been hushed, shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. However, as the curtains of misconception slowly lift, we find ourselves in an era where discussions about mental health are not only welcomed but are also seen as vital. Recognizing and addressing the nuances of our mental state is not merely about managing disorders; it's about understanding the essence of who we are, how we process the world around us, and how we navigate the myriad challenges thrown our way. This essay aims to delve deep into the realm of mental health, shedding light on its importance, the potential consequences of neglect, and the spectrum of mental disorders that many face in silence.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental health plays a pivotal role in determining how individuals think, feel, and act. It influences our decision-making processes, stress management techniques, interpersonal relationships, and even our physical health. A well-tuned mental state boosts productivity, creativity, and the intrinsic sense of self-worth, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life.

Negative Impact of Mental Health

Neglecting mental health, on the other hand, can lead to severe consequences. Reduced productivity, strained relationships, substance abuse, physical health issues like heart diseases, and even reduced life expectancy are just some of the repercussions of poor mental health. It not only affects the individual in question but also has a ripple effect on their community, workplace, and family.

Mental Disorders: Types and Prevalence

Mental disorders are varied and can range from anxiety and mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder to more severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

  • Depression: Characterized by persistent sadness, lack of interest in activities, and fatigue.
  • Anxiety Disorders: Encompass conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and specific phobias.
  • Schizophrenia: A complex disorder affecting a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

The prevalence of these disorders has been on the rise, underscoring the need for comprehensive mental health initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Understanding Mental Health and Its Importance

Mental health is not merely the absence of disorders but encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Recognizing the signs of deteriorating mental health, like prolonged sadness, extreme mood fluctuations, or social withdrawal, is crucial. Understanding stems from awareness and education. Societal stigmas surrounding mental health have often deterred individuals from seeking help. Breaking these barriers, fostering open conversations, and ensuring access to mental health care are imperative steps.

Conclusion: Mental Health

Mental health, undeniably, is as significant as physical health, if not more. In an era where the stressors are myriad, from societal pressures to personal challenges, mental resilience and well-being are essential. Investing time and resources into mental health initiatives, and more importantly, nurturing a society that understands, respects, and prioritizes mental health is the need of the hour.

  • World Leaders: Several influential personalities, from celebrities to sports stars, have openly discussed their mental health challenges, shedding light on the universality of these issues and the importance of addressing them.
  • Workplaces: Progressive organizations are now incorporating mental health programs, recognizing the tangible benefits of a mentally healthy workforce, from increased productivity to enhanced creativity.
  • Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges, witnessing the effects of stress and other mental health issues on students, are increasingly integrating counseling services and mental health education in their curriculum.

In weaving through the intricate tapestry of mental health, it becomes evident that it's an area that requires collective attention, understanding, and action.

  Short Essay about Mental Health

Mental health, an integral facet of human well-being, shapes our emotions, decisions, and daily interactions. Just as one would care for a sprained ankle or a fever, our minds too require attention and nurture. In today's bustling world, mental well-being is often put on the back burner, overshadowed by the immediate demands of life. Yet, its impact is pervasive, influencing our productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Sadly, mental health issues have long been stigmatized, seen as a sign of weakness or dismissed as mere mood swings. However, they are as real and significant as any physical ailment. From anxiety to depression, these disorders have touched countless lives, often in silence due to societal taboos.

But change is on the horizon. As awareness grows, conversations are shifting from hushed whispers to open discussions, fostering understanding and support. Institutions, workplaces, and communities are increasingly acknowledging the importance of mental health, implementing programs, and offering resources.

In conclusion, mental health is not a peripheral concern but a central one, crucial to our holistic well-being. It's high time we prioritize it, eliminating stigma and fostering an environment where everyone feels supported in their mental health journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the primary focus of a mental health essay?

Answer: The primary focus of a mental health essay is to delve into the intricacies of mental well-being, its significance in our daily lives, the various challenges people face, and the broader societal implications. It aims to shed light on both the psychological and emotional aspects of mental health, often emphasizing the importance of understanding, empathy, and proactive care.

  • How can writing an essay on mental health help raise awareness about its importance?

Answer: Writing an essay on mental health can effectively articulate the nuances and complexities of the topic, making it more accessible to a wider audience. By presenting facts, personal anecdotes, and research, the essay can demystify misconceptions, highlight the prevalence of mental health issues, and underscore the need for destigmatizing discussions around it. An impactful essay can ignite conversations, inspire action, and contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

  • What are some common topics covered in a mental health essay?

Answer: Common topics in a mental health essay might include the definition and importance of mental health, the connection between mental and physical well-being, various mental disorders and their symptoms, societal stigmas and misconceptions, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the significance of therapy and counseling. It may also delve into personal experiences, case studies, and the broader societal implications of neglecting mental health.

Art Comparative Analysis Essay: Exploring the Pop Art Style

Art Comparative Analysis Essay: Exploring the Pop Art Style

Art is a powerful medium of expression that has evolved through centuries, reflecting the changing landscapes of culture, society, and individual creativity. One fascinating aspect of art is the ability to analyze and compare different styles, periods, or movements. In this comparative analysis art essay, we will delve into the vibrant world of Pop Art, examining its key characteristics, artists, and its influence on the art world. List of Essays * Understanding Comparative Analysis in Art

Comparative Analysis Essay Topics in Education

Comparative Analysis Essay Topics in Education

Delving into comparative analysis essays in education challenges us to dissect and debate pivotal learning themes. Our carefully selected "Top 20 Topics, Prompts, Ideas, and Questions" aim to ignite critical thought, pushing you to evaluate and contrast varied educational frameworks and the efficacy of instructional approaches. In drafting your essay, strive for a cohesive argument that elevates your analysis beyond the obvious. These topics are springboards for broader discussion, offering a l

Essay about Ethical Decision Making

Essay about Ethical Decision Making

Ethical decision-making is the process of choosing between various options, where the choices are guided by ethical principles and values. This essay explores the foundational rules of ethical decision-making, the possible and ideal ground rules, the implications of such decisions, and the application of a personal ethical framework to a difficult decision in my life. We will delve into the significance of ethics in decision-making processes and speculate on potential improvements for the future

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Mental Health — The Importance and Future of Mental Health Research

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The Importance and Future of Mental Health Research

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

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The importance of mental health research, current trends in mental health research, challenges and opportunities in mental health research, the future of mental health research.

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60 popular mental health research paper topics.

Mental Health Research Paper Topics

The best way to write a good mental health research paper is to select a topic that you will enjoy working on. If you are looking for some interesting mental health research paper topics to work on, here is a list of 60 ideas to choose from.

Perfect for students as well as experts these topics have ample scope to experiment, share ideas and arguments on, and find substantial evidence to support your view. Take a look –

Mental Health Topics for Research Paper

When you are writing a paper for a graded assignment, it is important to have some great research paper topics about mental health to pick from. Here are some to consider –

  • Mental traumas from physical injuries and how to help recover
  • Resilience building – why is it important for children?
  • Friendships in men and how they contribute to mental health?
  • The role of parenting in building good mental health in children
  • What is normal emotional health and mental functioning?
  • Anti-depressants and their side effects.
  • Indicators suggesting medication for depression can be stopped
  • Effects of colors on mental health
  • How and why does lack of sleep effect emotional mental health?
  • Effect of exercise on a patient’s mental health
  • Effective methods to boost brain health and emotional quotient as we age
  • Mental health developmental stages in children from birth to 5 years of age
  • Why is play important for mental health in children
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – what causes it and how to manage?
  • ADHD — how to identify if someone has it?

Critical Analysis Research Paper Topics in Mental Health

For psychology students looking for effective research paper topics mental health offers many arenas for critical analysis. Here are some good topics to pick from –

  • Relevance of Freud in modern day psychiatry
  • Abortion care – the ethics and the procedures to facilitate emotional wellbeing
  • Are women facing more mental health issues than men?
  • Suicide – The reasons, trauma, and dealing with it
  • How does peer pressure change mental wellness and how to deal with it?
  • Effect of child abuse on toddlers’ mental health and resilience
  • Does Obesity affect mental health?
  • Is the damage on mental health caused by sexual abuse permanent?
  • Hormonal imbalances and their effect on women’s mental health
  • How to identify signs of mental illness in a loved one?

Music Therapy Research Paper Topics Mental Health

Music plays a significant role in enhancing mental health. Here are some mental health research paper topics on the role of music therapy in the field of mental health and treatments:

  • Music therapy a complimentary approach to biomedicine
  • Does music therapy facilitate enhanced healing?
  • Efficacy of music therapy for older adults
  • The role of music therapy in rehabilitation of mental health patients
  • Music based interventions and the effects of music therapy
  • Eating disorders and can music therapy help?
  • Can music therapy help with mental health during menopause?
  • Music therapy and its role in PTSD

Mental Health Nursing Research Paper Topics

If you are a nursing student you will certainly find these research paper topics for mental health useful for your assignment –

  • Psychiatric care in adult patients of mental health disorders
  • Non-chemical practices in bipolar disorder
  • Mental health care for patients dealing with alcohol addiction
  • Managing PTSD in armed forces veterans
  • Ethics to deal with psychiatric patients
  • Postpartum depression and how to identify and assist in early stages
  • Identifying the signs and managing patients with eating disorder
  • Mental illnesses common in soldiers returning from war
  • Signs of mental illness that must never be ignored
  • How to manage self-destructive mental health patients?

Controversial Research Paper Topics About Mental Health

Some mental health topics are controversial, but also well scoring if handled well. Take a look at some such topics worth considering –

  • Do natural alternatives to anti-depressants work?
  • Extreme postpartum depression leading to child harming tendencies
  • Infertility and its effects on mental health of the couple
  • Are more women suicidal than men?
  • Effect of teen relationship problems on mental health
  • The relationship between mental health and child abusers
  • Physical abuse in marriage and its effect on mental health
  • Rape and managing the emotional scars for effective healing
  • Self-destructive tendencies in children – causes and cures
  • Is it possible that there are people without conscience?
  • Are video games making children violent and aggressive?
  • Should criminals facing trial be subjected to genetic testing for impulse control?
  • Mental health in teenagers and why they cut themselves
  • Phobias – some of the most common and unusual fears people have
  • Divorce and how it affects the mental health of children
  • Is mental illness genetic
  • Does discovery of being adopted affect mental health of a child?

If you are a college student wondering what is the best way to write a research paper or how to write an effective submission that will get you good grades, you can get in touch with us for writing help. Our team offers fast and cheap assistance with writing papers that are appropriate for your level of education.

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