Abstract
There is a growing crisis of mental and substance use disorders (MSUDs), especially in adolescents and young adults, and this is expected to further escalate very rapidly as a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the economic downturn. Dispositional optimism is an effective buffer against the development of mental disorders and a change from pessimism to optimism empowers individuals with rational choices, decisions, and helps control high-risk behaviors. A proactive preventive intervention with learned optimism skill sets started much earlier in life is expected to offer benefits for the mental health and well-being of young individuals and emerging adults. In this review, we discuss the burden of MSUDs among young individuals and summarize the rationale and unmet need for learned optimism as a protective behavior against MSUDs.
Highlights
There is a growing crisis of mental and substance use disorders (MSUDs), especially in adolescents and young adults, and this is expected to further escalate very rapidly as a consequence of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the economic downturn
A study based on United States national survey data found that the increased rates of psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic were greatest in young adults aged 18–24 years.[9]
There is an ongoing epidemic of mental disorders and drug abuse worldwide, especially among adolescents and young adults
Summary
Understanding our unconscious mind Reprogramming our unconscious mind How to apply knowledge in real-life situations?. Definition and meaning of learned optimism and resilience ABCDE model to cope with life adversities Transforming your self-talk How to not let self-doubts prevent you from achieving your goals? “Mindfulness and Mind Power Tool”—A teaching tool created by each learner to stimulate critical thinking related to learned optimism (e.g., crafted story on a simulated character with different thinking styles and their effect on decision-making and choices) aThe program was developed keeping in mind that individuals low in dispositional optimism and with higher apprehension of uncertainty benefit significantly from mindfulness meditation.d bPBL is an active form of student-centered instruction characterized by learners’ constructive investigations, autonomy, communication through reflection within real-world practices.[100] PBL is a mode to develop long-term learning capabilities, cross-student learning and sharing, building reflective practitioners.[100] cFroh JJ, Parks AC. Blended training using e-learning modules configured with LMS tools along with instructor-facilitated live group discussion and project evaluation may provide economical, productive, and efficient solutions for scalable implementation.[112,116] Specialists and experts may be pioneers at the start for program and module development, but for sustainable implementation, the routine staff, for example, teachers, school nurses, and peers, must be trained as instructors.[97]
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