Examining self-help and self-improvement practices in mental health: youth narratives vs. literature and online sources

This mixed-methods study examines self-help and self-improvement practices for youth mental health across 75 websites (Russian/English), 1,970 PubMed articles (2018–2023), and interviews with 34 Russian youths (aged 14–34). Guided by self-determination theory and Boltanski and Thévenot’s justification worlds framework, practices were categorized into competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs. Chi-square tests revealed significant disparities: relatedness-oriented practices constituted 50% of youth narratives versus 32% in literature (p < 0.01, Cramer’s V = 0.21). Only 8% of websites cited experimental evidence for effectiveness, compared to 34.9% of articles. Youth evaluations prioritized subjective comfort (domestic world: 45%) or emotional resonance (inspired world: 30%), with no references to peer-reviewed evidence. Results underscore gaps in relatedness coverage across sources and inconsistent effectiveness reporting. We advocate enhanced transparency in scientific/online mental-health resources and youth-targeted psychoeducation to bridge lay and clinical efficacy assessments.