Thrive Literature Review
In 2025 Red Deer Polytechnic conducted a literature review on Thrive. Led by Jocelyn Wynnychuk, the review took a deep look at mental health in Alberta, and compared our program against similar programs around the world, as well as youth mental health training. Below is a summary of the findings. The full review is at the end of this page.
Why a program like Thrive is needed
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Youth mental health has worsened over the past decade, with big increases in reported loneliness, low life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression among adolescents in Canada and globally.
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Most mental health problems start in adolescence or early adulthood, and if they’re not addressed early, they tend to persist into adulthood. Early, preventative, group-based interventions are strongly recommended, especially given long waitlists for individual care.
Theatre as a mental health intervention
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Theatre and drama-based programs (including improv, dramatherapy, and theatre workshops) have reduced depression, anxiety, PTSD, and social anxiety in both adults and adolescents.
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Adolescents in theatre interventions show:
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Lower depression and anxiety
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Increased social connection and sense of belonging
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Growth in life skills like communication, creativity, and problem-solving
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Theatre gives teens a safe space to explore identity by trying on different roles, which is developmentally huge in adolescence.
Yes and...
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Improv (with its “yes, and…” rule) creates a culture of unconditional positive regard, where youth can take risks without fear of rejection. That’s especially helpful for social anxiety and building confidence.
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Playback/psychotherapeutic playback theatre, where people share stories and see them enacted, helps reframe traumatic experiences, reduces PTSD and anxiety, and shows participants they’re not alone.
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There’s also specific evidence for neurodivergent youth: theatre programs improve social communication, cooperation, confidence, and emotional awareness.
Social connection as a protective factor
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Adolescence is a “sensitive period” for social development; lack of meaningful relationships can have long-term negative effects.
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Peer support is strongly linked to better resilience and fewer depressive symptoms. Friendship support may even predict later resilience more than family support.
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Social isolation is strongly associated with worsening mental health in teens.
Teaching and embodied learning = deeper skill retention
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Teaching what you’ve learned leads to better long-term understanding and recall than just studying or reading.
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This is tied to retrieval practice (recalling without notes) and verbal explanation, both strongly supported in learning research.
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Coordinating body movement with learning (for example, games where emotions are explored through physical movement) deepens comprehension and makes abstract ideas more concrete.
Parent-teen communication and stigma reduction
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Open, positive communication between parents and teens is linked to better mental health and fewer depressive symptoms.
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Having teens present the workshop to their parents/guardians is designed to: normalize conversations about mental health at home, reduce stigma, and give parents language and examples to draw on later
