Minding Mistakes: Using error-related brain activity and mindsets to understand anxiety and responses to adversity

Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental health problems worldwide and are associated with considerable impairment. In this talk I will examine two areas of my research program aimed at understanding and ameliorating these experiences. First, I will discuss how anxiety impacts brain processing associated with mistakes, and what this tells us about cognitive efficiency among individuals with anxiety. I will then discuss an intervention that may improve performance efficiency among these individuals. Next, I will discuss my second line of research, focusing on beliefs about intelligence and anxiety and how these relate to brain responses to mistakes, anxiety, depression, emotion regulation processes, and preferences for treatment (therapy versus medication). Finally, I will discuss some future directions for my work, including studies aimed at understanding cognitive processes relevant to mental health as well as building more effective messages that promote resilience and hope among those who suffer.