The interplay of growth mindset, social support, and academic engagement on adolescent well-being in China: a multi-cohort study

This multi-cohort study investigated the independent and interactive effects of growth mindset, social support networks, and academic engagement strategies on the psychological well-being of Chinese middle school students (N = 1,237, across three cohorts). Participants ranged in age from 12 to 15 years, with a gender distribution of 52% females and 48% males. A longitudinal design with three waves of data collection spanning three years was employed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed that growth mindset, social support from family, friends, and teachers, and academic engagement strategies all had significant positive main effects on student well-being. A significant interaction effect emerged between growth mindset and friend support, indicating that friend support was particularly beneficial for students with a weaker growth mindset. These findings highlight the importance of fostering a growth mindset and cultivating supportive social networks to promote the psychological well-being of adolescents during a critical developmental period in Chinese education.