Mindset Matters, but That’s Just Part of the Story

Source: Samantha Garrote / Pexels

In the last Healing Factor column, I addressed how mindset matters when dealing with a serious or chronic illness. This time, I’ll broaden that perspective a bit and provide some practical suggestions on how we can shift our view in a more positive direction.

My interest in this topic was inspired by two mindset researchers: Alia Crum, Ph.D., who is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and the Principal Investigator of the Stanford Mind and Body Lab, and Kari Leibowitz, Ph.D., a Stanford-trained health psychologist. I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Liebowitz about her most recently published paper describing how she and her colleagues trained healthcare professionals on how to influence a patient’s mindset. More on that in a moment.

After diving into this topic and experiencing how perspective has influenced my own health, I agree with Dr. Crum, who says, “If we truly want to tackle the diseases and crises of our time, we need to more effectively acknowledge and leverage the power of mindset.”

Before we dive into how to leverage the power of perspective, let’s review some of the science behind this fascinating topic.

Does Mindset Really Matter?

I’ll begin with a randomized controlled trial published in 2023 featuring newly diagnosed cancer patients.[1] The patients received standard treatment or treatment plus the use of a digital mindset intervention that targeted core assumptions about the nature and meaning of their illness. Health-related quality of life was the primary outcome measured. The people in the mindset intervention group had better physical, social, emotional, and functional quality of life, along with an increase in adaptive coping behaviors and reduced physical symptom distress.

In 2021, three studies about mindset’s influence on exercising and healthy eating were conducted and then published in Frontiers of Psychology. The researchers found that mindset interventions promoted greater participation in fitness classes and encouraged more consumption of fruits and vegetables.[2]

The research on the placebo effect also goes a long way in illustrating the power of mindset.

“The patient isn’t getting better because of the sugar pill; they are getting better in part based on their mindset and expectations associated with their healing,” explained Dr. Leibowitz.

The study conducted by Dr. Leibowitz and her colleagues took this concept one step further. They set out to determine if it was possible to train healthcare professionals to influence a patient’s mindset.

“We know based on a large body of research that a patient’s mindset matters when it comes to treatment outcomes, patient compliance, and quality of life, so we wanted to explore if healthcare professionals could influence a patient’s mindset,” explained Dr. Leibowitz. “We developed the Medicine Plus Mindset Training program, which we used in the study. We had the entire healthcare team, as well as the support staff at each of the clinics, go through the training.”

With this study, Dr. Leibowitz and her colleagues were trying to illustrate the efficacy of “prescribing” mindset along with traditional treatments. What they discovered was that the care teams not only found the training to be useful and enjoyable, but they also felt that influencing a patient’s mindset does improve outcomes and is an important part of the treatment plan.[3] This also demonstrates that mindset is malleable.

Based on this research and many other studies, mindset does matter.

Influencing the Influencer

One of the most powerful aspects of perspective is that the one who has the most influence on your mindset is you. Other strategies that might help encourage a positive mindset include cultivating resilience, connecting and reaping the health benefits, taking advantage of the healing power of awe, and working on your inner voice. Keep in mind that influencing and changing mindset requires repetition and consistency. It’s an important healing factor to not only consider but also put into action on a daily basis.

Our mindset helps dictate what we focus on and pay attention to, which can become a critical part of our mental, emotional, and physical health routine. As Dr. Crum reminds us, “Our minds are not passive observers. Mindsets are not peripheral but central to health and behavior.”