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Mind over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge
An investigation into the mental health crisis affecting young adults today, and an impassioned argument for creating learning environments characterized both by compassion and challenge
Alarming statistics in recent years indicate that mental health problems like depression and anxiety have been skyrocketing among youth. To identify solutions, psychologist and professor Sarah Rose Cavanagh interviews a roster of experts across the country who are dedicating their lives to working with young people to help them actualize their goals, and highlights voices of college students from a range of diverse backgrounds.
Cavanagh also brings the reader on an invigorating tour of pedagogical, neuroscientific, and psychological research on mental health—one that involves her own personal journey from panic to equilibrium.
The result of these combined sources of inquiry indicates that to support youth mental health, we must create what Cavanagh calls compassionate challenge —first, we need to cultivate learning and living environments characterized by compassion, and then, we need to guide our youth into practices that encourage challenge, helping them face their fears in an encouraging, safe, and even playful way.
Mind over Monsters is a must-read for teachers, administrators, parents, and young people themselves.
Alarming statistics in recent years indicate that mental health problems like depression and anxiety have been skyrocketing among youth. To identify solutions, psychologist and professor Sarah Rose Cavanagh interviews a roster of experts across the country who are dedicating their lives to working with young people to help them actualize their goals, and highlights voices of college students from a range of diverse backgrounds.
Cavanagh also brings the reader on an invigorating tour of pedagogical, neuroscientific, and psychological research on mental health—one that involves her own personal journey from panic to equilibrium.
The result of these combined sources of inquiry indicates that to support youth mental health, we must create what Cavanagh calls compassionate challenge —first, we need to cultivate learning and living environments characterized by compassion, and then, we need to guide our youth into practices that encourage challenge, helping them face their fears in an encouraging, safe, and even playful way.
Mind over Monsters is a must-read for teachers, administrators, parents, and young people themselves.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
34 people are currently reading
2395 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 21, 2023
"Learning to live with—and sometimes love—one’s monsters while not letting them rule" us, is Sarah Rose Cavanagh's goal with Mind over Monsters (p. 226). Although she wrote for faculty working with high school and college students, her observations and suggestions are equally useful for other people working with students in this age group and for other people struggling with anxiety and depression.
Mind over Monsters presents a wider range of suggestions for preventing anxiety from ruling us than I had expected, especially as she did not explicitly discuss challenging automatic thoughts – at least in the ways that a clinical psychologist would do. She used psychological research, interviews with students and experts in the field, and her personal experiences (she has had panic attacks and periods of selective mutism) to describe a nuanced way to handle anxiety successfully and handle high school college well. Bottom line, she recommends compassionate challenge, with equal emphasis on both compassion and challenge and makes a compelling case for this approach to teaching (or working with this age group).
Among many other things, Cavanagh discussed going toward achievable tasks rather than avoiding them, matching anxiety to the task, recognizing that not all anxiety is a monster, supporting physical health and safety, learning to accept that some discomfort is normal (and health-guiding), and creating warm and safe environments (not cushioning). Adults need to create challenging but achievable environments, where students can succeed with appropriate work. She argued that "accommodating the student’s anxiety permanently also communicates that the anxiety is a core feature of the person, that it isn’t malleable or subject to change" (p. 51). Instead, we should be communicating, "I think you’re amazing. I think you are so smart, and so strong. Let’s do this together. I am here to support you” (p. 115).
I enjoyed Mind over Monsters a lot. Cavanagh is a clear and entertaining storyteller who offers strong and compelling examples. She's a bit like me as a gardener: she likes a bit of chaos rather than a well-tended formal garden. This isn't entirely true, as her chapters are well-ordered and organized, just that they travel in such unexpected directions that I wasn't always able to summarize them afterwards, even though I had been familiar with the research she'd discussed beforehand.
Mind over Monsters presents a wider range of suggestions for preventing anxiety from ruling us than I had expected, especially as she did not explicitly discuss challenging automatic thoughts – at least in the ways that a clinical psychologist would do. She used psychological research, interviews with students and experts in the field, and her personal experiences (she has had panic attacks and periods of selective mutism) to describe a nuanced way to handle anxiety successfully and handle high school college well. Bottom line, she recommends compassionate challenge, with equal emphasis on both compassion and challenge and makes a compelling case for this approach to teaching (or working with this age group).
Among many other things, Cavanagh discussed going toward achievable tasks rather than avoiding them, matching anxiety to the task, recognizing that not all anxiety is a monster, supporting physical health and safety, learning to accept that some discomfort is normal (and health-guiding), and creating warm and safe environments (not cushioning). Adults need to create challenging but achievable environments, where students can succeed with appropriate work. She argued that "accommodating the student’s anxiety permanently also communicates that the anxiety is a core feature of the person, that it isn’t malleable or subject to change" (p. 51). Instead, we should be communicating, "I think you’re amazing. I think you are so smart, and so strong. Let’s do this together. I am here to support you” (p. 115).
I enjoyed Mind over Monsters a lot. Cavanagh is a clear and entertaining storyteller who offers strong and compelling examples. She's a bit like me as a gardener: she likes a bit of chaos rather than a well-tended formal garden. This isn't entirely true, as her chapters are well-ordered and organized, just that they travel in such unexpected directions that I wasn't always able to summarize them afterwards, even though I had been familiar with the research she'd discussed beforehand.
July 24, 2023
I read this book as part of a reading club for work (I'm an academic librarian who will be teaching a course this coming semester) and our final discussion on it is coming up later today, so I thought that writing a review here would help me get my thoughts in order.
The long and short of it is that I did not care for this book. Which is not to say that I disagree with the overall theme of Cavanagh's argument, that students will do better in an environment that is both supportive and challenging. Having read that sentence, though, you've absorbed nearly all of the useful content that the book has to offer. The rest of it feels like a sort of pop-sci self-help book targeted at teachers and professors, full of bits and pieces that are written to feel meaningful but stand up to very little scrutiny.
The most significant complaint I have about Cavanagh's approach is that she presents a series of disparate, and often contradictory, strategies and anecdotes throughout the book and makes no attempts to reconcile them for the reader. Is it that "not only can" instructors act as clinicians "but we should," as is recommended on p. 47, or "respect the boundary between instructor and clinician," as recommended on p. 115? Are grades a source of "feelings of shame and punishment," as argued on p. 149, or do students feel a sense of self-efficacy when "guidelines are clear and fair" and "grading consistent," just a paragraph below? Does exercise "do as much to shore up mental health as any [...] visit to the therapist's office," p. 58, or should you not "advise a currently depressed person that they should consider exercising," p. 75? Is there a "youth anxiety epidemic," p. 53, or isn't there, pp. 13-14?
Another frustration is Cavanagh's tendency to point out issues with the literature only when it serves the purposes of her arguments. She mentions that the famous marshmallow/delayed gratification study only showed correlation and not causation (p. 215), but doesn't mention it regarding the ACEs study (p. 92) or a meta-analysis about motivation and academic success (p. 143). Similarly, anecdotes are leveraged as a criticism of an op-ed on trigger warnings (p. 106), but Bessel van der Kolk's work based on anecdotal evidence is "remarkable" (p. 91). Never mind that she also draws from the well of Freud throughout the book, something no psychologist should be doing in the 21st century.
A final criticism is one that I'm not sure I can properly articulate, but the closest I can come right now is to say that Cavanagh consistently pushes, implicitly and explicitly, an identification of the instructor with the students. She uses "we" a lot when talking about mental health issues, and maybe this will be perceived as nitpicking, but I do think this is a subtle clash with the book's purported focus on youth mental health. This is more clear in her call, on pp. 212-215, for instructors to "release their status," citing an improv class for Harvard faculty as an example. This may be fine advice for a no-stakes training course, but it's a frustrating erasure of the inherent power dynamics in the classroom. Instructors do hold more power in the classroom than their students, and pretending otherwise is disingenuous and counterproductive.
On a personal note, I also found Cavanagh's characterization of anxiety baffling. She first of all describes it on p. 32 as a fear response "for imaginary threats," which feels both inaccurate and dismissive. "Imagined," perhaps, or perceived or anticipated, but not "imaginary." Her definition of anxiety excludes from consideration anything that is not related to panic attacks. She states explicitly on p. 45 that, to her, "[w]hat the anxious individual really fears is the possibility of entering a panic state." Obviously I can't speak too broadly, I'm not a clinical psychologist (though, to be fair, neither is Cavanagh), but I've been living with generalized anxiety for most of my life and could count the number of panic attacks I've had on a single hand.
If you're considering reading Mind over Monsters, or if you're looking for something that will help you develop strategies for connecting with and supporting students, I would recommend giving Connected Teaching by Harriet L. Schwartz a try. I finished it just before starting this book and Cavanagh's work really suffered by comparison.
The long and short of it is that I did not care for this book. Which is not to say that I disagree with the overall theme of Cavanagh's argument, that students will do better in an environment that is both supportive and challenging. Having read that sentence, though, you've absorbed nearly all of the useful content that the book has to offer. The rest of it feels like a sort of pop-sci self-help book targeted at teachers and professors, full of bits and pieces that are written to feel meaningful but stand up to very little scrutiny.
The most significant complaint I have about Cavanagh's approach is that she presents a series of disparate, and often contradictory, strategies and anecdotes throughout the book and makes no attempts to reconcile them for the reader. Is it that "not only can" instructors act as clinicians "but we should," as is recommended on p. 47, or "respect the boundary between instructor and clinician," as recommended on p. 115? Are grades a source of "feelings of shame and punishment," as argued on p. 149, or do students feel a sense of self-efficacy when "guidelines are clear and fair" and "grading consistent," just a paragraph below? Does exercise "do as much to shore up mental health as any [...] visit to the therapist's office," p. 58, or should you not "advise a currently depressed person that they should consider exercising," p. 75? Is there a "youth anxiety epidemic," p. 53, or isn't there, pp. 13-14?
Another frustration is Cavanagh's tendency to point out issues with the literature only when it serves the purposes of her arguments. She mentions that the famous marshmallow/delayed gratification study only showed correlation and not causation (p. 215), but doesn't mention it regarding the ACEs study (p. 92) or a meta-analysis about motivation and academic success (p. 143). Similarly, anecdotes are leveraged as a criticism of an op-ed on trigger warnings (p. 106), but Bessel van der Kolk's work based on anecdotal evidence is "remarkable" (p. 91). Never mind that she also draws from the well of Freud throughout the book, something no psychologist should be doing in the 21st century.
A final criticism is one that I'm not sure I can properly articulate, but the closest I can come right now is to say that Cavanagh consistently pushes, implicitly and explicitly, an identification of the instructor with the students. She uses "we" a lot when talking about mental health issues, and maybe this will be perceived as nitpicking, but I do think this is a subtle clash with the book's purported focus on youth mental health. This is more clear in her call, on pp. 212-215, for instructors to "release their status," citing an improv class for Harvard faculty as an example. This may be fine advice for a no-stakes training course, but it's a frustrating erasure of the inherent power dynamics in the classroom. Instructors do hold more power in the classroom than their students, and pretending otherwise is disingenuous and counterproductive.
On a personal note, I also found Cavanagh's characterization of anxiety baffling. She first of all describes it on p. 32 as a fear response "for imaginary threats," which feels both inaccurate and dismissive. "Imagined," perhaps, or perceived or anticipated, but not "imaginary." Her definition of anxiety excludes from consideration anything that is not related to panic attacks. She states explicitly on p. 45 that, to her, "[w]hat the anxious individual really fears is the possibility of entering a panic state." Obviously I can't speak too broadly, I'm not a clinical psychologist (though, to be fair, neither is Cavanagh), but I've been living with generalized anxiety for most of my life and could count the number of panic attacks I've had on a single hand.
If you're considering reading Mind over Monsters, or if you're looking for something that will help you develop strategies for connecting with and supporting students, I would recommend giving Connected Teaching by Harriet L. Schwartz a try. I finished it just before starting this book and Cavanagh's work really suffered by comparison.
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December 4, 2024This is a book aimed at teachers at the high school and college level and offering strategies and suggestions for working with students who are dealing with mental health issues, focusing mainly on managing learned helplessness. I was gratified to see that many of the strategies and approaches I already employ are mentioned in this book, indicating I'm working well in my goal to provide my students with what Cavanagh terms "compassionate challenge."
I will also say that the book is unevenly written, and includes several points at which Cavanagh appears to contradict herself--she argues that teachers can and should be clinicians, and then later that teachers should respect the boundary between teacher and clinician; that exercise is an effective means of managing mental health issues, but then that teachers should not advise a depressive student to exercise; that there is not a "youth anxiety epidemic" at the beginning of the book, but then later that there is; and so forth. I don't think in actuality the meat of her argument, observations, and discussion is contradictory, but rather the way she is presenting her thoughts can seem so. Where she argues teachers can and should be clinicians, for example, she isn't stating they should take on the work of a counselor or therapist, but that they should be aware and observant in discerning when a student might benefit from intervention and offer resources and support--but within the role of teacher, including if warranted and the student is receptive, the recommendation to visit a mental health professional. Where she argues exercise can be as helpful as therapy for managing mental health issues she isn't making the claim that teachers should recommend exercise, but pointing out that the lack thereof may be a contributing factor in what teachers are seeing among their students who are coping with mental health issues, an observational rather than a therapeutic tool. And where she argues there is not a mental health epidemic among students early on, it's to point out that in fact, overall our society is not coping well with modern issues, and students should not be viewed as having a sudden inexplicable epidemic surge of mental health issues, but that yes, there is a growing awareness that in our society we are facing many challenges, which many of us, student and adult, alike, are struggling to meet and make sense of. So in the end, while the expression of her points can seem self-contradictory, that's a writing issue more than a thinking issue--but it could throw some readers off of what is overall a helpful and affirming book.
I will also say that the book is unevenly written, and includes several points at which Cavanagh appears to contradict herself--she argues that teachers can and should be clinicians, and then later that teachers should respect the boundary between teacher and clinician; that exercise is an effective means of managing mental health issues, but then that teachers should not advise a depressive student to exercise; that there is not a "youth anxiety epidemic" at the beginning of the book, but then later that there is; and so forth. I don't think in actuality the meat of her argument, observations, and discussion is contradictory, but rather the way she is presenting her thoughts can seem so. Where she argues teachers can and should be clinicians, for example, she isn't stating they should take on the work of a counselor or therapist, but that they should be aware and observant in discerning when a student might benefit from intervention and offer resources and support--but within the role of teacher, including if warranted and the student is receptive, the recommendation to visit a mental health professional. Where she argues exercise can be as helpful as therapy for managing mental health issues she isn't making the claim that teachers should recommend exercise, but pointing out that the lack thereof may be a contributing factor in what teachers are seeing among their students who are coping with mental health issues, an observational rather than a therapeutic tool. And where she argues there is not a mental health epidemic among students early on, it's to point out that in fact, overall our society is not coping well with modern issues, and students should not be viewed as having a sudden inexplicable epidemic surge of mental health issues, but that yes, there is a growing awareness that in our society we are facing many challenges, which many of us, student and adult, alike, are struggling to meet and make sense of. So in the end, while the expression of her points can seem self-contradictory, that's a writing issue more than a thinking issue--but it could throw some readers off of what is overall a helpful and affirming book.
April 9, 2025
I read this book from the lens of someone who works in education but not as an instructor. A lot of the information about youth mental health struggles applies to adults as well. It is a fascinating book supported by good science and research. I would love to see us, as a society, prioritize mental health support for young people as well as adults. There are a lot of systemic barriers that make this difficult. There are many case studies and good suggestions in this book for how adults can create supportive environments for the young people in their lives, and I think we can propagate some of this in how we adults interact with our colleagues too.
August 25, 2025
Cavanagh has been my guiding light as an educational developer. She always seems to have her finger directly on the pulse of the sociocultural and psychological factors shaping teaching and learning. Mind Over Monsters continues this trend by spotlighting not only the mental health challenges that make learning difficult but also how educators can tap into the power of compassionately challenging young people to develop confidence, capacity, and wellness. This book is a must read for anyone who teaches, coaches, or cares for students of all ages.
October 2, 2024
Cavanagh makes a compelling case that our current wave of anxiety and depression is not as unusual as we may think, that it is not as extreme as we may believe, and that we can use known strategies for creating safe spaces to allow and challenge students to learn and take risks. One key point is that challenge can and, often, should be fun and playful. Definitely worth reading if you work with and teach 16-26 year olds.
February 4, 2024
This book was recommended by our campus advancement for teaching and learning center. It is really helpful if you are teaching in higher ed and working with students who are dealing with complex stresors.
May 13, 2024
Excellent book that addresses how to work with young people in high school and college and beyond who are going through mental health issues. Especially like the idea of bringing in challenge as a tool to bring them out of learned helplessness.
February 28, 2024
Such a great read for higher ed educators to help support their students with compassionate challenge.
March 24, 2024
Great book with lots of ideas to strengthen education and help college students
April 26, 2024
Highly recommend for all higher ed faculty—extremely thought provoking with practical advice! Also a better “read” than many higher ed books! Tremendously helpful!
December 12, 2024
Well written, balanced view of the mental health crisis affecting the minds of today’s youth. It affects everyone. Educators should read this!
February 1, 2025
This book could have been an email. Laborious and loquacious discussion over a basic concept of empathy toward student mental health while encouraging them to do hard things.
April 10, 2024
Facilitated a reading group for university faculty over this book! Love the way the book is laid out, content was good but not too deep.
April 26, 2025
read for a book study at work
August 8, 2024
this was a required read for the peer mentors at school. we were reluctant to do our summer “homework,” but this ended up being extremely insightful. we all took away lessons that will strengthen what we do. i would recommend this to anyone who wants to know how to be a more supportive, empathetic leader that people actually like being around.
July 6, 2024
I felt that this book really speaks to the reality of adolescents today and that structures including schools and universities need to bend to put student needs first. I plan on using parts of this book in a course .
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews