Picture This! Bringing joy into Focus and Developing Healthy Habits of Mind: Rationale, design, and implementation of a randomized control trial for young adults

Abstract

Research shows that daily experiences of awe, curiosity, gratitude, joy, and love can put the average person on a trajectory of growth, success, and positive social connection, and can also prevent those who are suffering from following a downward spiral. Nonetheless, data show that most people are not functioning at optimal capacity. In fact, just 20% of people may be categorized as “flourishing,” with the vast majority of people merely “languishing,” at risk for mental health issues, or with clinical levels of mental health concerns. Despite the success of the Positive Psychology movement and the proliferation of Positive Psychology Interventions, the field remains in need of high quality studies that test potential mechanisms of change. The Picture This! intervention, informed by Positive Psychology principles, was designed to improve well-being and decrease depressive symptoms in young adults. This paper details the rationale, design, and implementation of a 4-group randomized control trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of Picture This!. Specific indices of mental health and well-being (e.g., depressive symptoms, gratitude) were measured at baseline and at the conclusion of the intervention along with potential mechanisms of change (i.e., attentional bias, cognitive style), while positive emotion and general well-being were assessed daily over the 21-day intervention period. If successful, this intervention may provide critical behavioral, cognitive, and attentional tools that, once internalized, can be drawn upon for years to come.