Character Strengths and Adolescent Mental Health: Moderated-Mediation by Strengths Use and Mindset
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/liberabit.2026.v32n1.1260Keywords:
adolescent mental health, character strengths, strengths use, strength-based mindset, moderated-mediation, well-being, behavioral problemsAbstract
Background: Adolescent mental health is a critical area of investigation due to the heightened vulnerability, heightened neurodevelopmental plasticity, and lasting imprints of this developmental stage on later life. Objective: This research aims to study adolescent mental health from a strength-based perspective by examining the complex interplay between character strengths and their use among strength-based mindset groups (Fixed vs. Growth). Method: The study participants included 500 school-going adolescents (aged 13-17 years) recruited through a multi-stage cluster random sampling. Distinct patterns of moderated-mediation pathways were analyzed using multi-group path analysis through AMOS 23.0. Results: Findings revealed that Humanity and Justice had significant indirect effects on mental health via strength use, in the fixedmindset group, where they both predicted higher well-being (βHumanity = .14*; βJustice = .07*) and lower behavioral problems (βHumanity = -.09*; βJustice = -.04*). In contrast, the indirect effects of most virtues, including Wisdom (β = .18***), Transcendence (β = .10**), Justice (β = .05*), and Temperance (β = .05*), were statistically significant in the growth-mindset group, but only towards promoting well-being. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for strength-based interventions that go beyond awareness towards active strengths use while adhering to the underlying mindset of adolescents to maximize their effectiveness and applicability.
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