Growth mindset, resilience, college student retention and engagement in preventative mental health activities: A focus on vulnerable groups

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether learning about growth mindset toward mental health (GMMH) influences college students' retention, GMMH and resilience beliefs, and participation in activities associated with mental health (AMH). PARTICIPANTS: 258 first-year students at a small, private liberal arts college. METHODS: the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and participation in AMH. CONCLUSIONS: Learning about GMMH positively impacts vulnerable students' retention and engagement in AMH, even when self-reported beliefs in GMMH and resilience are not impacted. Tracking behavior provides an informative way to measure the potential success of GMMH interventions.