Abstract/Summary

Meaning in life protects individuals from mental distress during social upheaval. We posit that a growth mindset and consistency of interest positively predict meaning in life during social upheaval. The present research tested the hypothesis that among adolescence living in a period of social upheaval, the presence of a growth mindset (the belief in malleability of valued personal attributes) positively predicts persistent engagement in purpose‐congruent interests (consistency of interest), which in turn positively predicts the feeling that life is meaningful (presence of meaning in life). To test this hypothesis and to clarify the temporal causal connections among growth mindset, consistency of interest, and presence of meaning in life, we conducted a 3‐wave longitudinal cross‐lagged panel study with 275 Hong Kong adolescents between late 2017 and early 2020, which covered a period of social upheaval. As hypothesized, having a growth mindset predicted meaning in life two years later through the mediating effect of consistency of interest. These findings extended past findings by identifying a new causal pathway for the temporal causal effects of a growth mindset on the presence of meaning in life over two years in a population and context with high vulnerability to mental distress. (193 words).