Rewiring the Mind: How Optimism Training Builds a Bridge to Mental Health and Reduces Depression

AbstractThe transition to university life presents significant psychological challenges, including increased stress, anxiety, and depression among students. Despite the established benefits of optimism in promoting mental well-being, limited research has examined the direct impact of structured optimism training on students' mental health. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates optimism training as a novel intervention to mitigate depressive symptoms in first-year university students. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 200 first-year students were recruited and assigned to either an experimental group (n=100), which received optimism training, or a control group (n=100), which received Low-Intensity Treatment (LIT). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was administered at baseline and post-intervention to measure depression severity. Statistical analyses, including repeated measures ANOVA, were conducted to assess the intervention’s effectiveness. Results revealed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the experimental group, with mean PHQ-9 scores decreasing from 17.19 (pre-test) to 13.57 (post-test), whereas no notable change was observed in the control group. These findings highlight optimism training as a cost-effective and scalable mental health intervention that could be integrated into university counseling services to support students' psychological well-being and resilience.