A meta-analysis of positive psychology intervention (PPIs) studies was conducted. PPIs were defined as interventions in which the goal of wellbeing enhancement was achieved through pathways ...consistent with positive psychology theory. Data were extracted from 347 studies involving over 72,000 participants from clinical and non-clinical child and adult populations in 41 countries. The effect of PPIs with an average of ten sessions over six weeks offered in multiple formats and contexts was evaluated. At post-test, PPIs had a significant small to medium effect on wellbeing (g = 0.39), strengths (g = 0.46), QoL (g = 0.48), depression (g = −0.39), anxiety (g = −0.62), and stress (g = −0.58). Gains were maintained at three months follow-up. Individuals in non-western countries with clinical problems, who engaged in longer individual or group therapy programs containing multiple PPIs benefited most. This meta-analysis shows that PPIs have an extensive evidence base supporting their effectiveness.
The purpose of this systematic literature review was to explore the current critiques and criticisms of positive psychology and to provide a consolidated view of the main challenges facing the third ...wave of research. The review identified 32 records that posed 117 unique criticisms and critiques of various areas of the discipline. These could be grouped into 21 categories through conventional content analysis, culminating in six overarching themes or 'broad criticisms/critiques'. The findings suggested that positive psychology (a) lacked proper theorizing and conceptual thinking, (b) was problematic as far as measurement and methodologies were concerned, (c) was seen as a pseudoscience that lacked evidence and had poor replication, (d) lacked novelty and self-isolated itself from mainstream psychology, (e) was a decontextualized neoliberalist ideology that caused harm, and (f) was a capitalistic venture. We briefly reflect on the findings and highlight the opportunities these criticisms and critiques present.
This study provides a quantitative synthesis of meta-analytic evidence for the effectiveness of very broadly defined positive psychological interventions (PPIs), i.e. interventions that enhance ...well-being through pathways consistent with positive psychology theory. The definition covers a wide range of PPIs including single and multi-element PPI programs as well as mindfulness, mind-body, and physical exercise-based interventions. Five databases were searched. One hundred and ninety eight meta-analyses involving 4,065 primary studies and 501,335 participants were selected for review. Using the AMSTAR-2 criteria, the selected meta-analyses were found to be of moderate or high quality. At post-intervention, PPIs had a significantly small to medium effect on well-being, QoL, strengths, depression, anxiety, and stress. Gains were partially maintained at 7.5-month follow-up. Mind-body PPIs such as yoga were particularly effective. Individuals who engaged in longer, face-to-face programs benefited most. This mega-analysis shows that PPIs have an extensive evidence base supporting their effectiveness.
There has been a noticeable decline in life satisfaction among adolescents globally in recent years. The present study explored the immediate and long-term effects of a positive psychology ...intervention course, Study with Strength, on the well-being of students at general upper secondary school in Finland during the pandemic. Based on a partly randomized wait-list control group design, the study included a final sample of 350 students from 10 schools. Self-report measures were used to assess both immediate between-group effects and long-term within-group effects of the intervention on student well-and ill-being. A combination of methods from positive psychology and cognitive therapy were applied, and the course was administered by the participating schools’ own teachers and student-welfare personnel. The findings show that the Study with Strength intervention course enhanced the students’ experiences of positive practices at school, happiness and of positive emotions. However, the effect sizes were small. The intervention did not have any immediate effects on all aspects of well-being, negative emotions, depression, or study-related burnout. The significant, positive changes in students’ well-being in the analysis of long-term effects must be interpreted with caution. The students also reported a positive effect of the intervention both on their personal lives and in their studies. Overall, it appears that the intervention had a small but positive impact, nudging students towards enhanced well-being. The results offer valuable insights into the implementation of positive education on students at general upper secondary school aged 15–19.
Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for one's past. We examined the effect of a 6-week, weekly nostalgia intervention on well-being (positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, subjective ...vitality, and eudaimonic well-being) over time. After 3 weeks, participants who engaged in nostalgic reflection had higher well-being than those who engaged in ordinary reflection. After 6 weeks, and at a 1-month follow-up, the positive effect of nostalgic reflection was reserved for those who were high on dispositional nostalgia (i.e., well-suited to the nostalgia intervention). However, at these time points, nostalgic reflection was associated with lower well-being among those particularly low on dispositional nostalgia. Across time points, nostalgic reflection was beneficial to the degree that it fostered social connectedness, meaning in life, and self-continuity, pointing to mechanisms that drive nostalgia's positive influence on well-being. In summary, weekly nostalgic reflection has temporary well-being benefits for most (out to 3 weeks) and, beyond that, is a matter of fit-beneficial or adverse to those especially high or low on dispositional nostalgia, respectively.
As the COVID-19 global health disaster continues to unfold across the world, calls have been made to address the associated mental illness public crisis. The current paper seeks to broaden these ...calls by considering the role that positive psychology factors can play in buffering against mental illness, bolstering mental health during COVID-19 and building positive processes and capacities that may help to strengthen future mental health. The paper explores evidence and applications from nine topics in positive psychology that support people through a pandemic: meaning, coping, self-compassion, courage, gratitude, character strengths, positive emotions, positive interpersonal processes and high-quality connections. In times of intense crisis, such as COVID-19, it is understandable that research is heavily directed towards addressing the ways in which people are wounded and weakened. However, this need not come at the expense of also investigating the ways in which people are sustained and strengthened.
Do acts of kindness improve the well-being of the actor? Recent advances in the behavioural sciences have provided a number of explanations of human social, cooperative and altruistic behaviour. ...These theories predict that people will be ‘happy to help’ family, friends, community members, spouses, and even strangers under some conditions. Here we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the experimental evidence that kindness interventions (for example, performing ‘random acts of kindness’) boost subjective well-being. Our initial search of the literature identified 489 articles; of which 24 (27 studies) met the inclusion criteria (total N = 4045). These 27 studies, some of which included multiple control conditions and dependent measures, yielded 52 effect sizes. Multi-level modeling revealed that the overall effect of kindness on the well-being of the actor is small-to-medium (δ = 0.28). The effect was not moderated by sex, age, type of participant, intervention, control condition or outcome measure. There was no indication of publication bias. We discuss the limitations of the current literature, and recommend that future research test more specific theories of kindness: taking kindness-specific individual differences into account; distinguishing between the effects of kindness to specific categories of people; and considering a wider range of proximal and distal outcomes. Such research will advance our understanding of the causes and consequences of kindness, and help practitioners to maximise the effectiveness of kindness interventions to improve well-being.
•Meta-analysis of effects of helping on the happiness of the helper•27 experimental studies included in review (total N = 4045)•The overall effect of kindness on well-being is small-to-medium (δ = 0.28).•No evidence of publication bias•Future research should test more specific theories of kindness.
Recent years have seen an increasing interest in research in positive psychology interventions. There is broad evidence for their effectiveness in increasing well-being and ameliorating depression. ...Intentional activities that focus on those character strengths, which are most typical for a person (i.e., signature strengths, SS) and encourage their usage in a new way have been identified as highly effective. The current study aims at comparing an intervention aimed at using SS with one on using individual low scoring (or lesser) strengths in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. A total of 375 adults were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention conditions i.e., using five signature vs. five lesser strengths (LS) in a new way or a placebo control condition (i.e., early memories). We measured happiness and depressive symptoms at five time points (i.e., pre- and post-test, 1-, 3-, and 6-months follow-ups) and character strengths at pre-test. The main findings are that (1) there were increases in happiness for up to 3 months and decreases in depressive symptoms in the short term in both intervention conditions; (2) participants found working with strengths equally rewarding (enjoyment and benefit) in both conditions; (3) those participants that reported generally higher levels of strengths benefitted more from working on LS rather than SS and those with comparatively lower levels of strengths tended to benefit more from working on SS; and (4) deviations from an average profile derived from a large sample of German-speakers completing the Values-in-Action Inventory of Strengths were associated with greater benefit from the interventions in the SS-condition. We conclude that working on character strengths is effective for increasing happiness and discuss how these interventions could be tailored to the individual for promoting their effectiveness.
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