A Review on Single Session Mindset Interventions on Major

Depressive Disorders in Adolescents

He Ren

The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

Keywords: Single-Session Intervention, Growth Mindset, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Adolescents, Mental Health

Prevention.

Abstract: Innovative approaches to major depressive disorders (MDD) prevention are in great need, and there have been

many attempts to alleviate the pain of MDD prevalence for adolescents. The present study analyzes single-

session mindset intervention by deconstructing its mechanism and examining its effectiveness. Studies

demonstrate significant positive correlations between a growth mindset, self-acceptance, and interpersonal

interaction abilities, which are crucial for coping with external stress and preventing MDD. Based on the

findings of previous studies, single-session mindset interventions are cost-effective, time-efficient, and equally

approachable for all adolescents. By offering adolescents a thirty-minute lecture on growth mindset and their

capacity to evolve and change, adolescents exhibited a significant decrease in MDD-related symptoms and a

general increase in mental health status. By diving into the experiments done in this area, this essay aims to

provide a better overall understanding of growth mindset intervention on MDD occurrence and provide insight

for future research or practical implementations.

1 INTRODUCTION

Major depressive disorder (MDD), diagnosed when a

person undergoes persistently debilitating low moods

(DSM-5), ranked third in terms of disease burden in

2018 according to the WHO and is predicted to rank

first by 2030 (American Psychiatric Association,

2013, Malhi & Mann, 2018).

It is also the most prevalent mental illness,

affecting more than 280 million people worldwide

(Baxter et al., 2013). More worryingly, MDD is also

taking its toll on the young generation, the prevalence

of major depressive episodes among adolescent

females is 29.2% and 11.5% for males (National

Institute of Mental Health, 2023). Society has the

responsibility to protect and shelter the young, but the

conventional methods for MDD intervention are

clearly not enough for the job, novel approaches

should be taken to alleviate the pain and burden of

MDD among adolescents.

This article proposes a single-session mindset

intervention as a potential remedy for lowering the

occurrence rate of MDD and the average severity of

MDD among adolescents. It intends to offer an

applicable, effective, cost-efficient, and time-efficient

method for adolescent MDD intervention.

Mindsets are core beliefs about the malleability of

people’s traits (Schleider & Weisz, 2016). When

comparing growth and fixed mindset, scientists agree

in unison about the positive effects the growth mindset

has on mental health. Improvements in growth

mindsets can help prevent internalizing problems and

are linked with faster stress recovery (Schleider &

Weisz, 2016). Adolescents’ minds and personalities

are still developing, leaving immense possibility for

mindset intervention, and present findings are

consistent with evidence suggesting that brief growth

mindset interventions can promote positive emotional

outcomes in youth (Yeager et al., 2014). Accordingly,

many studies and experiments in recent years display

positive outcomes for single-session mindset

intervention in preventing MDD and promoting

mental health (Schleider & Weisz, 2016).

This essay will elaborate on the mechanism behind

the growth mindset’s positive effect on MDD

prevention and treatment. It will then dive into specific

experiments surrounding single-session mindset

interventions to analyze the methods and actions taken

and the results these studies display, hoping to offer

future optimization for such sessions.

318

Ren, H.

A Review on Single Session Mindset Interventions on Major Depressive Disorders in Adolescents.

DOI: 10.5220/0014113200004942

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Psychology and Marketing Management (APMM 2025), pages 318-322

ISBN: 978-989-758-791-7

2 THE MECHANISM OF

GROWTH MINDSET’S EFFECT

ON MDD INTERVENTION

In general, people with a growth mindset believe in a

higher malleability of their traits, and their behaviors

can be especially different regarding challenging and

stressful circumstances (Dweck & Molden, 2005).

MDD is exactly the manifestation of the interplay in

the human brain upon stressful events. In other words,

our understanding, response, and reactions, which are

all important aspects of mindsets, in the face of an

emotional challenge, have a say in whether or not

individuals develop MDD and the potential severity if

a person unfortunately does. For example, studies

have concluded that impaired emotional regulation

can, directly and indirectly, lead to clinical depression;

low levels of self-acceptance and self-esteem can

exacerbate the severity and durability of MDD

disorders; low levels of interpersonal interaction

ability can lead to MDD (Zetsche et al., 2023, Yavari

et al., 2023, wang et al., 2024).

In the context of current society, the external stress

and challenges added upon people are subjective to

most of us, but our reactions to these external triggers

are different, and it is these reactions that cause our

distress. These emotional abilities that lead to MDD

are also crucial components of different mindsets–the

alteration of mindsets is the alteration and

improvements of such traits in general so that our

emotional response to the next stressful event can be

handled more healthily. This is the mechanism of

mindset alteration and growth mindset’s effect on

MDD intervention. Studies in recent years have

confirmed the correlations between a growth mindset

and these crucial cognitive factors, such as self-

acceptance ability and interpersonal interaction

ability.

In 2020, Yuan & Wang directed a study aiming to

reveal the relationship between a growth mindset and

the level of self-acceptance, and the effect of family

status and income on this correlation (Yuan & Wang,

2020). Researchers collected data from a secondary

vocational school in China consisting of 2375 students

and an approximate one-to-one gender ratio. These

students had diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and

offered diverse data for the experiment. The study was

primarily carried out by handing questionnaires and

forums to students to self-evaluate. The Dweck's 2006

Growth Mindset Scale was translated into Chinese and

utilized to assess the mindset of participants (Dweck,

2006). The Self-Satisfaction Subscale of the Life

Satisfaction Scale, developed by the China Children

and Adolescents Psychological Development

Characteristics Survey Project Group was used to

determine the level of self-acceptance among students

(Dong & Lin, 2011). The socioeconomic status was

assessed by combining the gathered information on

the family's annual income and the highest level of

education attained by the parents. These two

subfactors were asked independently and later

combined by researchers during the process of data

analysis. Researchers then used SPSS 20.0 software to

perform descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and

hierarchical regression analysis on the data,

accompanied by multiple additional rounds of data

analysis, significant correlations between a growth

mindset, and positive self-acceptance were revealed.

It was clear that even though in higher socioeconomic

levels of families, growth mindsets are comparatively

weaker at indicating a higher level of self-acceptance,

the general trend is still strong and powerful–growth

mindsets persistently lead to a higher self-acceptance

level.

In a 2024 study done by Wang and co-workers,

researchers surveyed 560 college students from China

using the Growth Mindset Scale (GMS), which was

adapted for Dweck’s original scale, UCLA Loneliness

Scale (UCLA), Interpersonal Relationships

Assessment Scale (IRS), and two measures assessing

distinct facets of well-being the Satisfaction with Life

Scale (SWLS) and the revised Positive Affect and

Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to determine the

mindset of the participants and their interpersonal

interaction ability and satisfaction with interpersonal

relationships with others(Wang et al., 2024). These

questionnaires were administered anonymously

through class, and it took around 15 minutes for each

student to fill out the forums, making the data accurate

and unbiased at the largest effort. The results from the

data were run through SPSS. 26.0, and further

correlations were analyzed by Pearson correlation

analysis. Further chain analyses were also taken to

chart out the relationships between mindsets,

interpersonal interaction ability, loneliness, and well-

being. The results of the study demonstrate that a

growth mindset significantly positively predicts the

level of interpersonal interaction ability and

satisfaction, and tends to lead to better interpersonal

distress management; individuals with a growth

mindset also displayed a higher level of self-resilience

and subsequently exhibited generally better well-

being.

This study dived into many aspects of emotional

skills mainly surrounding the dimension of our

interpersonal emotional ability which is also a

significant factor for the prevention of MDD.

A Review on Single Session Mindset Interventions on Major Depressive Disorders in Adolescents

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Both studies found clear and significant positive

correlations between the growth mindset and

emotional abilities that predict and contribute to the

development of MDD. While the first study focused

on the inward emotional ability, the second study

explored in depth and breadth the outward emotional

ability, both are crucial to our mental well-being.

These studies reveal the emotional aspect behind a

growth mindset, allowing this article to deconstruct

and better understand what a growth mindset truly

encompasses, and these components that growth

mindsets encompass can help people cope with the

external stress we face in a more healthy fashion.

However, both studies aren’t perfect. Although

correlations between growth mindset and self-

acceptance, growth mindset, and interpersonal

interactions were found, the studies provided little

evidence to account for whether a growth mindset

induced self-acceptance or whether it is the other way

around. Future studies are required to clarify this

relationship.

The data collection methods can also reflect biased

results due to their heavy reliance on self-reported

information. Future studies can and should consider

applying additional data-collecting methods rather

than simply asking participants to self-evaluate. Self-

evaluation is primarily used in both studies, with no

additional sources or information to confirm the data’s

reliability and authenticity. Considering the fact that

many of the questions involve information about an

individual’s mental status and background, which are

very personal, there is a possibility that participants

uploaded false information due to their self-esteem or

personal considerations. Future studies should

consider inviting a second or third source to confirm

the accuracy of the information collected, in order to

give a more comprehended understanding of the

growth mindset.

3 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

SINGLE SESSION EDUCATION

IN MINDSET INTERVENTION

AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Although human personality can persistently change

from life to death, young people’s personalities and

brain structure are more dynamic, encompassing a

higher level of malleability (Spear, 2013). This level

of malleability can be deliberately utilized for growth

mindset intervention for adolescents. By offering

time-efficient and cost-efficient single-session

interventions, the positive change in mental health

appears to be promising.

In 2015, Miu and colleagues hypothesized that

depression symptoms among adolescents might

originate from their perceived notion that people’s

characteristics and social status cannot change (Miu &

Yeager, 2015). The researchers believed that helping

students adapt to a growth mindset could encourage

self-acceptance and decrease depressive episodes. An

experiment was carried out to examine the effect of

single-session growth mindset intervention on

depression-associated episodes. Participants came

from three schools in Northern California (N = 599;

48% female, 52% male). The students participating in

the study came from vastly different backgrounds and

ethnicities, and a poll the researchers took before the

mindset intervention experiment indicated that all

students were aware of the verbal, physical, and

psychological aggression happening around them,

with 75% admitting being victims of these abuses.

This indicates that the participants are diverse in

background and personal experience, but also share

key psychological characteristics. The researchers

first conducted a baseline survey to measure

depressive symptoms among students, a 10-item short

form of the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI:S)

was administered. To supplement this primary

analysis, continuous depressive-symptom analyses on

each of the subscales of the CDI:S were conducted,

including five factors: negative mood and

interpersonal problems. Participants also self-

described their psychological status based on the

questions the researchers proposed. The students were

then assigned to different groups: the intervention

group, where students engaged in reading and writing

tasks stressing the incremental theory of personality,

which posits that personality traits are malleable and

can improve with effort and experience; and the

control group, where students are assigned to reading

and writing tasks on athletic ability (irrelevant to the

subject of growth mindset). After nine months, the

researchers returned to reassess the depressive

symptoms among these students and examine their

cognitive shifts. The results were significant: across

600 adolescents, a one-time intervention teaching an

incremental theory of personality appeared to reduce

the prevalence of clinical levels of depressive

symptoms by approximately 40%. By using

moderation analysis, the researchers discovered that

people who had a stronger preconceived notion of a

“fixed mindset” benefited more from the intervention,

showing a greater level of decrease in depressive

symptoms. Additionally, by analyzing the linguistic

cues in the written open-ended responses by students,

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the researchers found that treated teens were less

likely to use negative emotions and trait words, to talk

about the past, and to talk about discrepancies. This

subtle change indicates huge psychological changes

behind the scene: students’ cognitive perception of

themselves has taken a positive shift, and many have

adopted a growth mindset when encountering life’s

challenges. The research also pointed out that the

intervention targeted depressive symptoms accurately

regardless of sex.

In 2024, Heaman and co-workers conducted an

experiment focusing on the effects of single-session

intervention for growth mindset among high school

students, especially stressing the potential differences

among different genders (Heaman et al., 2024). This

study manifested from Miu’s study, using it as a

prototype and further expanding the knowledge of

mindset prevention, while also refuting some of the

findings in Miu’s study.

Participants were recruited from three public high

schools within a medium-sized city in southwestern

Ontario, Canada. The students were tested on four

characteristics before the intervention and repeatedly

during a four-month follow-up: depressive symptoms,

happiness, life satisfaction, and growth mindset.

These characteristics were assessed with the Beck

Depression Inventory, Subjective Happiness Scale,

Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction

Scale, and the Implicit Personality Theory

Questionnaire (IPTQ), respectively (Beck et al., 1996,

Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999, Seligson et al., 2003,

Erdley et al., 1997). Depressive symptoms, subjective

happiness, and life satisfaction data were collected at

two time points: baseline and 4 months post-

intervention (primary outcomes). The growth mindset

of personality and general growth mindset beliefs

were assessed at three time points: baseline,

immediate post-intervention, and at 4 months follow-

up. Of the 472 participants initial participants, 318

participants returned for the follow-up examination.

The intervention was done online, administrating each

student with a 30-minute video lecture focusing on

growth mindset in personality (experiment group) or

growth mindset for athletic ability (controlled group).

By analyzing the responses given by the students,

the researchers discovered that the domain of growth

mindset lecture videos had less effect on whether a

growth mindset is elicited. Still, the experiment group

exhibited a persistent and significant increase in

happiness and life satisfaction while the control

group’s scores remained the same, with some even

worsening. Additionally, girls exhibited a significant

decrease in depressive behaviors while boys did not.

These two studies both proved how short single-

session growth mindset intervention elicited growth

mindsets among individuals who received growth

mindset intervention. In addition, a growth mindset

can alleviate depressive symptoms among

adolescents, indicating a positive signal for MDD

prevention. Although both studies chose a

considerable amount of participants, students and

adolescents from rural areas were not included,

creating a bias that might have led to inaccurate

generalizations. Moreover, both studies only took

follow-up examinations that only gapped for several

months after the intervention was put forward. This

time span is relatively short to determine whether or

not single-session interventions generated lasting

effects, or whether this effect during adolescence can

successfully last to adulthood. Future studies should

follow up with the participants in a longer gap of time

to better understand the long-lasting effects of the

intervention.

The second study added some further amendments

to the first, by collecting an additional set of data

immediately after the intervention. This set of data can

help researchers visualize the change or persistency of

the effect of the intervention, by comparing this data

to the later survey done four months later. The gender

difference among interventions is also insightful,

suggesting a more diverse and adaptive learning

method for different genders, developing a more

personal approach to mindset intervention is needed.

Although the first research did not discover

differences in the result of intervention between sexes,

it does propose that girls generally are more prone to

internalizing outside information, which might

explain why girls performed better in mental health in

the second study. In the future, more modes of

teaching other than reading articles and listening to

lectures can be included to enrich the learning

experience and ensure effective prevention of MDD

among all students.

4 CONCLUSION

As the MDD epidemic spreads, innovative methods of

prevention should be initiated for the young

generation, who are more susceptible to external stress

and harmful factors, but at the same time, also capable

of positive cognitive change. Applying single-session

mindset interventions, which are cost-efficient, can

alter adolescents’ underlying cognitive perceptions

and enhance a growth mindset, which in turn can

prevent the young generation from MDD. This

promising area calls for more research and

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experiments to optimize its effectiveness, making an

effort to ensure its treatments impartially apply to all

adolescents.

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