Reflection and mental health: Experimental evidence from Germany

Prateek Chandra Bhan, Judith Vornberger and Jinglin Wen

No 38, Working Papers from University of Konstanz, Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inequality. Perceptions, Participation and Policies"

Abstract: Despite increasing mental health problems and an existing care gap among university students, cost-effective solutions to bridge this gap are still lacking. Using a reflection intervention, we conduct a randomized controlled trial with undergraduate students in Germany. As part of a thought experiment, the treatment group reflected for ten minutes on questions related to stressors and their remedies. Combining survey and administrative data we find a significant improvement in students' mindful behavior, mental health and well-being as well as perseverance in performance. Our results show the self-empowering potential of a low-cost soft-touch intervention in students to aid their mindful behavior, mental health and well-being as well as performance and thus demonstrate one way universities as institutions can provide support.

Keywords: Mental health; students; experiment; stress; coping strategy; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-hea and nep-hrm
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:cexwps:301857

DOI: 10.48787/kops/352-2-1f340fv8qyhhu1

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