Integrating Growth Mindset with Functional-Cognitive Approaches: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility and Acceptability Study in Youth Residential Care

Highlights: What are the main findings? Residential staff provided strong emotional support but reported limited confidence in teaching functional and metacognitive skills needed for everyday autonomy. A pilot staff-based implementation of the integrated protocol was found feasible and acceptable, supporting the translation of motivational principles into adolescents’ daily functional strategy use. What are the implications of the main findings? Implementing this protocol in residential care settings may inform staff-focused practices aimed at supporting adolescents’ functional autonomy and transition planning. Further evaluation is required to determine its impact on long-term outcomes. The feasibility of a pilot staff-based implementation offers a preliminary practical framework for staff-focused interventions in residential care settings. Background: Adolescents in residential care frequently face functional challenges, yet few interventions integrate functional-cognitive models with motivational theories to support their daily function. Methods: This mixed-methods feasibility study is an innovative conceptual integration that links motivational and metacognitive approaches with growth-mindset principles to address both beliefs about the ability to change and functional performance. Quantitative data were collected from staff (n = 44), alumnae (n = 5), and current residents (n = 3), assessing mindset and functional-skill confidence among three focus groups (n = 16). The qualitative insights highlighted the motivational processes, strategy use, and barriers each group faced. Results: The findings informed the development of structured intervention psychoeducation protocol to facilitate goal-setting and reflective questioning. The feasibility and acceptability were tested by a pilot study among five staff members. Before implementation, staff demonstrated lower confidence in promoting daily autonomy and providing strategy-focused feedback. Alumnae and residents reported high emotional support, yet persistent gaps in functional independence. Conclusions: The pilot findings may inform the development of structured staff practices for delivering functional guidance, pending further evaluation. This study offers a novel conceptual contribution by positioning growth mindset as an active mechanism that supports functional-cognitive processes to enhance autonomy among adolescents in residential care settings.