Mental health is becoming increasingly important in clinical settings and everyday situations alike. Here I present a study that addresses the role of experienced agency, i.e., the role of subjective experiences of control and authorship over our actions and their consequences, for mental health. For this study, 241 participants completed a survey in which they were presented with specific, challenging situations of a more personal (conflict/stress) or global (climate change/war) nature. Participants were asked to evaluate experiences of control, responsibility and their situational and overall mental health as well as evaluate the helpfulness and use of coping strategies.

Via regression and mediation analyses, our data challenge a simple model of direct positive effects of agency experience for mental health in specific, challenging situations. Rather, they point to a crucial role of perceived responsibility that defines when experiences of control affect mental health in a positive or negative manner. Interestingly, our data still confirm a generally positive association between trait assumptions of experienced agency and overall mental health.

Thus, interventions aimed at strengthening agency experience may represent a promising avenue for improving mental health especially when they employ measures to target the critical role of perceived responsibility.