A Stanford-led study reveals that adopting a mindset focused on growth after catastrophes can significantly reduce depression and inflammation. The intervention, conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights powerful ways to foster resilience and mental health in challenging times.
In an illuminating new study, researchers led by Stanford University have found that a strategic shift in mindset can help people who have endured catastrophes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, experience tangible mental and physical health benefits.
Published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the study involved a randomized, controlled trial where one group of adults participated in a one-hour intervention aimed at altering their core beliefs and assumptions about experiencing a catastrophe.
The intervention’s goal was to help participants identify growth opportunities stemming from their ordeal.
Three months after the intervention, those who underwent the mindset shift had lower depression levels and reduced inflammation markers compared to a control group.
Blood tests indicated a decrease in C-reactive protein, a key marker of inflammation related to chronic stress and disease.
“As much as we might wish to live untouched by trauma or catastrophe, the reality is that few of us are spared from such struggle,” senior author Alia Crum, an associate professor of psychology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, said in a news release. “The study was inspired by our desire to help people reflect on their experience of the pandemic with an eye on how it could help them grow.”
The Study
The study, conducted from October 2022 to February 2023 by Crum’s team from the Stanford Mind & Body Lab, in collaboration with colleagues from Boston College, the University of Auckland, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Pennsylvania, compared two groups of adult participants.
The control group watched videos containing general information about the various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and answered follow-up questions to assess their understanding.
The intervention group, however, viewed videos emphasizing how mindsets can significantly affect health and well-being, showcasing evidence that individuals often grow in various profound ways after enduring catastrophic experiences.
Common areas of personal growth include a heightened appreciation for life, increased resilience, stronger interpersonal relationships, deepened spiritual faith, and the pursuit of new, previously unexplored opportunities.
Following the video sessions, the intervention group was asked to reflect on their current mindsets and identify potential growth areas in their lives post-pandemic.
Importantly, the researchers stressed that cultivating a growth-oriented mindset is not equivalent to blind optimism. Participants were encouraged to acknowledge the negative impacts of the pandemic while recognizing opportunities for positive change.
“We tried to be very nuanced and balanced but also bring in the genuine, research-based evidence that there are specific positive changes that a lot of people do go through when they live through something like the pandemic,” added co-first author Jesse Barrera, a former lab manager of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab.
Previous research by Crum’s team suggested that seeing the pandemic as a major catastrophe in early 2020 correlated with the recognition of potential opportunities. This insight formed the basis for the current intervention’s design.
The necessity to conduct the study remotely due to the pandemic restrictions led to innovative methodologies. Participants watched the intervention videos at home and sent in dried blood spot samples for testing.
“In a lot of ways, the methodology that we came up with for this study was actually only an opportunity because of COVID-19,” added co-first author Lexi Straube, a Stanford medical student. “This approach opens the door for more accessible strategies that can reach people during future public health crises or in communities that don’t have access to traditional clinical trials.”
Findings Offer Hope
While more research is needed to replicate these findings in diverse populations, the initial results offer hope for those who have faced significant life challenges, according to Crum.
“We would have liked to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it came regardless,” Crum added. “In the post-pandemic era, we face a choice: We can let it recede into memory, leaving us depleted and disillusioned, or we can choose to look back, learn from it, and grow – both personally and collectively.”
Source: Stanford University