GROW: Development and Effectiveness of a Positive Intervention to Improve Mental Health in Individuals Within Educational Organizations

In recent years there has been an exponential growth in studies focused on the promotion of mental health in educational organizations. The third sustainable development goal UN General Assembly, 2015) states "guarantee healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." With this objective, it is sought to eliminate the disparity in well-being, and has given rise to initiatives and strategies that focus on the educational population. Following the understanding of mental health as formed by two indicators (i.e., presence of well-being and absence of psychological distress), it can be assumed that the reduction of psychological distress is not only necessary for having a complete state of mental health but also the promotion and enhancement of well-being (Keyes, 2009). Traditionally, psychologists have focused their attention on the prevention and treatment of disease and impaired functioning, leaving aside the other side of the coin (i.e., well-being). However, the development of positive psychology as a science yielded new approaches of intervention aiming at fostering well-being in different settings such as the educational in order to upskill individuals in mental health management and prevent them from future psychological problems (Simonton & Baumeister, 2005). The GROW program (Gaining Resources for Optimal Well-being) has as main objective promoting well-being. This program has proved its effectiveness in different contextual groups (e.g., children, adolescents, youth at risk, educational professionals). The program is based on fundamentals of positive psychology and is considered a multi-component program to promote different types of well-being (hedonic and eudaimonic) and positive feelings towards the present, past, and future. This program will be included within a mentoring training for master and PhD students in the Universitat de Lleida (Spain) for the next course in order to promote mentors’ mental health and also provide them with the necessary tools to implement the program to future mentees.