The Success Trap

It's not just the phones and social media. This crucial new investigation into the teen mental health epidemic reveals how rising expectations in school, extracurriculars, and daily life have driven unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression—and shows what you can do about it.

“A call to action for every parent, educator, and policymaker . . . Let it change the way we support our youth on the challenging journey of staying grounded, connected, and inspired.”—Daniel J. Siegel, New York Times bestselling author of Brainstorm, Mind, and Mindsight

Pediatrician, researcher, and former Associate Dean for Curriculum at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Dr. Stuart Slavin draws on his experiences working to reverse burnout and anxiety among high-achieving students to argue that the problem isn't just technology—it's also the system that demands constant performance. In The Success Trap, he demonstrates how the culture of achievement has become a key contributor to the teen mental health crisis, and how it can be reimagined for better outcomes and greater well-being.

From school and sports to college admissions and parental and societal expectations, young people are navigating an environment where success is demanded at every turn—often at the cost of their well-being. During his tenure as Dean of Curriculum at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Dr. Slavin led a program that resulted in an 80% decrease in rates of depression and anxiety among his medical students—all while improving academic outcomes.

Based on his successes, parents will learn to:

Teach resilience
Reduce demands and pressure
And provide kids with more control, more choice, and more opportunities to find meaning and joy

The Success Trap lays out this same three-pronged approach to improving teen mental health, especially during the critical high school years and beyond—without sacrificing performance or ambition. Drawing on years of clinical expertise and educational research, Dr. Slavin offers gentle, practical guidance for parents, educators, and students themselves to help break the cycle and redefine what true success looks like: not just achievement, but mentally resilient, healthy, and happy teens.

Featured Endorsement

"Stuart Slavin has done something rare and necessary: he has given us the science and the story behind a crisis hiding in plain sight—for students from middle school to medical school.

As both a pediatrician and a father, Stuart brings profound insight into how our culture's obsession with achievement is stealing childhood, adolescence, and even young adulthood away from us and harming the developing brain—creating unnecessary toxic stress and mental suffering.

This book, based on careful applied research in higher education, is a call to action for every parent, educator, and policymaker.

Read it, share it, and let it change the way we support our youth on the challenging journey of staying grounded, connected, and inspired in their lives."
― Daniel J. Siegel, New York Times bestselling author, Brainstorm, Mind and Mindsight

More Advanced Praise

“In The Success Trap, Stuart Slavin . . . provides a practical, evidence-based way to break the cycle by building resilience and giving kids more control, choice, and purpose, without sacrificing ambition.“
― Jennifer Breheny Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Never Enough and Mattering

“This is an essential guide for parents and educators who want to create environments in which young people can truly learn, thrive, and find meaning.“
― Richard M. Ryan, McKillop distinguished professor, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, co-developer of self-determination theory

“I recommend the book to all parents, educators, and anyone else concerned with the mental wellbeing of young people, kindergarten through graduate or medical school.“
― Peter Gray, expert in childhood learning and author of Free to Learn

“Stuart Slavin brings a powerful combination of clinical expertise and humane wisdom to bear on one of the deepest problems of our time. The Success Trap is a remarkable combination of social criticism and self-help—at once profound and useful.“
― Daniel Markovits, author of The Meritocracy Trap

“The Success Trap provides the case and a roadmap for helping kids to thrive and ultimately experience deeper success.“
― Christine Moutier, CMO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

“We've known for a long time that achievement pressure is harming our teens. The question is, what can we do about it? The Success Trap offers answers: a thorough, compassionate, step-by-step approach for parents to follow to help them understand what's going on with their kids and how to help them through it.“
― William Deresiewicz, New York Times bestselling author of Excellent Sheep

“In this smart debut study. . . Slavin balances his broader critique of achievement culture with practical advice for parents, urging them to respond constructively to setbacks such as college rejections by allowing space for grief and helping children identify alternative paths. Parents and educators will find this a crucial resource for assisting today's teens.“
― Publishers Weekly