Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed a proliferation of positive psychological interventions for clinical and non-clinical populations, and recent research, including meta-analyses, is providing evidence of its effectiveness. Most interventions have focused on increasing life satisfaction, positive affect, and psychological well-being. Manualized, multi-component interventions based on a comprehensive theory are scarce. Keyes’ concept of mental health and flourishing (subjective, psychological, and social well-being) is an overarching theoretical framework to guide the design of a multi-component psychological intervention to cultivate well-being and personal development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design a theory-driven positive intervention and to pilot test the intervention. The manual presents an 8-week group program that includes homework activities. A sample of 56 young adults completed the intervention. Participants were assessed at base line, after termination, and at a 6-month follow-up session. Standardized instruments were used to assess the dimensions of mental health proposed by Keyes. Pre- and post-test measures of subjective, psychological, and social well-being showed significant differences, as did the total mental health scores. At 6-month follow-up, differences remained in subjective and psychological well-being and in positive mental health, with smaller effect sizes. Limitations of these preliminary findings as well as future lines of research and improvements in this manualized intervention are proposed in the light of current research on positive interventions.
Highlights
Following Seligman et al.’s (2005) publication providing the first evidence of the effects of positive psychological interventions (PPIs), researchers and practitioners started to develop and assess a variety of these interventions designed to increase positive affect, well-being, optimism, personal strengths, hope, and self-esteem, as well as to decrease clinical symptoms of distress
The first session worked on expectations and beliefs about happiness, well-being, and personal development using instruments developed by McMahan and Estes (2011), and Zacarés and Serra (1996)
The polynomial contrasts do not allow rejecting the linear component of the trend—except in the case of the social well-being indicator (F = 0.32; p = .573)— in all cases a quadratic trend in the form of an inverted V prevails with greater probability
Summary
Following Seligman et al.’s (2005) publication providing the first evidence of the effects of positive psychological interventions (PPIs), researchers and practitioners started to develop and assess a variety of these interventions designed to increase positive affect, well-being, optimism, personal strengths, hope, and self-esteem, as well as to decrease clinical symptoms of distress. Several meta-analyses and systematic reviews were published in the past 12 years, providing information about the Gorbeña et al Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica (2021) 34:7 comprehensive meta-analysis, by Koydemir et al (2020), concluded that PPIs display promising effectiveness for increasing well-being in non-clinical adult populations Despite this propitious scenario for PPIs, their diversity in terms of goals, target populations, contents, delivery format, and duration yields a complex picture (Bolier et al, 2013). Published studies present differences in terms of goals and outcome measures, with interventions targeting different dimensions of wellbeing, mostly subjective well-being and psychological well-being (Koydemir et al, 2020; Weiss, et al, 2016) or focusing in different psychological constructs such as optimism, hope, or happiness Another major goal has been the alleviation of depressive symptoms, a work that Fava initiated in the 90s with his Well-Being Therapy (Fava, 1999). The first homework assignment asked participants to select, reflect, and bring an example of a source of personal well-being, like a picture, a preferred leisure
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