Proactive brain training strengthens mental wellness before challenges arise

A new study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology challenges the traditional, reactive model of mental health care by demonstrating that proactive brain training can strengthen the human mind before mental health challenges take root. Additionally, it can support the wellness of those with a history of mental illness.

In the study, Improving Mental Health Outcomes Through Online Brain Health Training in Adults With or Without Mental Illness, researchers from Center for BrainHealth^® at The University of Texas at Dallas demonstrated that a strategy-based style of cognitive training delivered digitally may serve as a scalable, preventive shield to fortify community mental health.

The study included 370 participants ages 18 to 87, split evenly between 185 with a history of mental illness, and 185 demographically matched participants without. They all engaged in Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™) training, which teaches holistic, higher-order cognitive strategies that translate directly into everyday life.

To evaluate the training's efficacy, researchers tracked shifts in mental health and cognitive clarity over the course of six months using the BrainHealth Index (BHI)™, the world's only validated, multidimensional metric capable of measuring holistic, functional changes in brain health and performance over time.

Key research findings

• Universal mental health boost: Just five minutes of daily training over a six-month period universally improved mental health metrics-significantly reducing symptoms of psychological distress (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress) while lifting overall resilience, quality of life, and engagement in meaningful activities regardless of an individual's baseline diagnostic history.

• A cognitive divergence: While the mental health lift was universal, the data revealed a distinct divergence in how different brains process the training. Healthy adults who completed at least the core training experienced an immediate dual benefit of enhanced well-being and improved high-level executive functions. Participants with a history of mental illness achieved the same vital psychological benefit, but some may require a different timeline to realize the same benefits in cognitive clarity. Crucially, across both groups, improvements in cognitive clarity were significantly associated with improvements in overall mental health outcomes.

• Microburst scalability: Requiring just five minutes per session on a smartphone or other device, the training fits seamlessly into gaps in any daily routine.

• A new public health shield: The study suggests a novel option to equip public health officials with an evidence-based tool designed to promote community mental health. This training is built to run alongside traditional therapies and standard of care, rather than replacing them, while also serving as a low-cost, preventive strategy for the general population.

This study complements a recently published article in Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports, revealing that cognitive decline is not an inevitable part of aging and that anyone can improve their brain health regardless of their age or starting point.

"When it comes to physical health, we don't wait for a heart attack to start exercising. Yet, the mental health conversation almost always defaults to a reactive model, focusing on managing anxiety, stress, or depression after they arise," said Sarah Laane, PhD, CCC-SLP, research scientist at Center for BrainHealth and the study's lead author. "This study flips that paradigm. It proves that we can and should proactively work on our brains to improve our mental wellness long before challenges ever take root."

Every brain is unique, and this research shows that proactive brain training can work for everyone. This work opens the door for public health systems to consider microburst digital cognitive training to lift community mental health collectively. It establishes a sustainable, real-world solution capable of fortifying minds on a global scale, meeting people exactly where they are."

Lori Cook, PhD, CCC-SLP, co-author, director of clinical research, Center for BrainHealth

This study and The BrainHealth Project are funded in part by private philanthropy, including Sammons Enterprises, Inc., and by the Texas Research Incentive Program (TRIP) administered by The University of Texas at Dallas. Additional funding was provided by the Donald Bloom Mental Health Promotion Fund.