When the brain can change: effects of neuroplasticity education on beliefs about brain-based mental disorders

Mental disorders are increasingly framed as brain-based, which can promote pessimism about recovery. We tested whether brief education about neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to change throughout life, can counter these beliefs. Across three preregistered vignette experiments with UK adults (Ns = 414, 411, and 418), participants viewed a brain-framed mental disorder after either a brief neuroplasticity video and text intervention or a matched control. The intervention increased the perceived possibility of recovery, but this effect was short-lived after a single exposure in Study 1 and more durable with a booster in Study 2. The effect in Study 3 was not significant, but a pooled analysis of data from Studies 2 and 3 confirmed the positive effect overall. The intervention did not affect perceived treatment efficacy, nor did it reduce desired social distance from people with mental disorders. In Study 3, higher familiarity with the disorder was associated with a higher perceived recovery and lower desired social distance. These findings suggest neuroplasticity education can increase public optimism about recovery from mental disorders, but changing treatment beliefs or social attitudes may require more targeted interventions.