A Positive Psychology Intervention With Emerging Adults (original) (raw)
Related papers
2020
The youth’s state of mental health and related high rates of depression worldwide is a growing concern, and Singapore is not an exception (National Youth Council, 2018; World Health Organization, 2018a). These emotional disorders not only affect the everyday functioning of the youths, but also impair their development into healthy adults. Some populations however, seem to be more vulnerable than others; and this is the case with Polytechnics students in Singapore who certainly need psychological support, mentoring and intervention. The PERMA theoretical model of well-being (Seligman, 2011), when translated into positive education interventions (Seligman, Ernst, Gillham, Reivich, & Linkins, 2009), is known to foster the overall psychological well-being of individuals and to contribute to their flourishing (Hoare, Bott, & Robinson, 2017; Norrish, Williams, O’Connor, & Robinson, 2013). This quasi-experimental study tested the effects of a 10-week mentoring programme for a group of Polytechnic students with the aims of enhancing their happiness, well-being and school life satisfaction. The participating students were recruited amongst the full-time students of a Polytechnic in Singapore. The participants self-selected themselves in either the experimental (n = 20) or the control group (n = 14) depending on their availability and desire to partake in the 10-week Positive Psychology Interventions. While there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups, there were significant differences within each group. The results of paired t-tests showed more significant statistical improvements in the variables of Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishment and Student Life Satisfaction within the experimental group, as compared to the control group. The results of this study seemed to imply that the Positive Psychology Interventions need to be strengthened in terms of duration and reinforcement for the effects to be more visible and sustainable.
2015
Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a positive psychology intervention on the psychosocial well-being of a group of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 13 using a quasi-experimental quantitative approach. The positive psychology intervention was implemented over a four week period within the school setting, and consisted of one half-hour session per week. Intervention activities focused on enhancing positive emotions about the past, in the present, and toward the future through meditation, gratitude activities, a savouring exercise, a kindness intervention, identifying and developing character strengths and an optimism enhancing exercise. Complete data at baseline, one-week post-intervention, and 5-week follow-up was gathered from 95 grade seven scholars who were randomly assigned to the experimental (intervention) condition (n = 44) or control group (n=51). The control group received no intervention and no placebo. Data was gathered using the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF) for adolescents to measure well-being, and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale – Short Version (RCADS-SV) as the indicator for anxiety and depression. While no significant changes were indicated in the control group in either well-being or pathology, quantitative data revealed promising results in the experimental group, suggesting that the brief intervention may have impacted on the psychosocial well-being of the adolescents indirectly by significantly decreasing symptoms of mental ill-health including anxiety and depression after follow-up analysis. Although no significant differences were found in psychosocial well-being per se, the significant decrease in anxiety and depression may increase well-being and in so doing promote flourishing adolescents. Furthermore, evidence suggests that well-being interventions have a delayed or long-term effect and as such future research ought to look at the effects of positive psychology interventions among a broader agerange and socio-economic group using longitudinal studies.M.A
Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions
American Psychologist, 2005
Positive psychology has flourished in the last five years. We review its recent developments, including books, meetings, courses, and conferences. We discuss the newly-created classification of character strengths and virtues, a positive complement to the DSM's, and we present some cross cultural findings that suggest surprising ubiquity of strengths and virtues. Finally, we focus on psychological interventions that increase individual happiness. In a six-group, random assignment, placebo-controlled Internet study, we tested five purported happiness interventions and one plausible control exercise. We found that three of the interventions lastingly increased happiness and decreased depressive symptoms. Positive interventions can supplement traditional interventions that relieve suffering and this may someday be the practical legacy of positive psychology,
Young People’s Attitude Toward Positive Psychology Interventions: Thematic Analysis (Preprint)
2020
BACKGROUND Digital instantiations of positive psychology intervention (PPI) principles have been proposed to combat the current global youth mental health crisis; however, young people are largely not engaging with available resources. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore young people’s attitudes toward various PPI principles to find ways of making digital instantiations of them more engaging. METHODS We conducted an explorative workshop with 30 young people (aged 16-21 years). They rated and reviewed 29 common PPIs. Ratings and recorded discussions were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Some interventions were conflicting with young people’s values or perceived as too difficult. Participants responded positively to interventions that fit them personally and allowed them to use their strengths. CONCLUSIONS Values, context, strengths, and other personal factors are entangled with young people’s attitudes toward digital instantiations of PPI principles.
Positive psychology interventions in schools: a critical review
2019
s screened for relevance (n=115) Studies excluded with reason (n=71) Full-text literature assessed for eligibility (n=44) Full-text literature excluded with reason (n=26) Studies included in thematic analysis (n=18) Figure 1. Search Flow Chart 48 Table 1 Summary of Data Extracted Author(s) and Title Details of the Positive Psychology Intervention Sample (dependant variable) Results / Findings Other Boniwell, Osin, & Martinez (2016). Teaching happiness at school: Non-randomised controlled mixed-methods feasibility study on the effectiveness of personal well-being lessons. Aim: Evaluate the efficacy of a new school programme for the promotion of happiness and well-being skills in adolescence according to the subjective well-being perspective. The intervention consisted of 18 bi-weekly Personal Well-Being Lessons (50 min each) administered by teachers to groups of learners at one intervention school throughout the school year. The control school learners received lessons focused on a g...
Positive Psychology Interventions: A Review for Counselling Practitioners
Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy Revue Canadienne De Counseling Et De Psychotherapie, 2014
Positive psychology is focused on the prevention of mental health disorders, promotion of mental health, and treatment of distress via positive psychology interventions (PPIs). Effective in generating positive affect and experiences, PPIs alleviate depression and boost happiness in clinical and nonclinical populations. Geared toward counselling practitioners, the present article explores a sampling of PPIs such as savouring, gratitude, self-compassion, and capitalization. Why, how, and under what conditions these interventions are successful, and for whom they work are discussed. It is hoped that practitioners will use PPIs to enrich their work, contribute to the validation of the PPIs, and facilitate a true state of mental health for clients.
Positive psychology: an introduction
American Psychologist; …, 2000
A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quali~. ' of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless. The exclusive focus on pathology that has dominated so much of our discipline results in a model of the human being lacking the positive features that make life worth living. Hope, wisdom, creativity, future mindedness, courage, spirituality, responsibility, and perseverance are ignored or explained as transformations of more authentic negative impulses. The 15 articles in this millennial issue of the American Psychologist discuss such issues as what enables happiness, the effects of autonomy and self-regulation, how optimism and hope affect health, what constitutes wisdom, and how talent and creativity come to fruition.
of Positive Psychology Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice
2019
Emerging evidence indicates that practicing gratitude contributes to well-being. The goal of this investigation was to develop a comprehensive, effective intervention for promoting gratitude among adolescents and young adults (ages 16–30). Findings from experimental data indicate that three existing gratitude activities (three good things, benefit appraisals, and a gratitude letter) fostered unique facets of gratitude (Study 1). A combined intervention enhanced gratitude, hope, and prosocial intentions among young adults (Study 2) and adolescents (Study 3). This work extends the literature by providing empirical evidence on how benefit appraisal influence adults, revealing the unique effects of existing gratitude activities, and showing that an integrative intervention is effective for both adolescents and young adults. Furthermore, the resulting intervention is relatively brief and can be implemented online or in-person, which could facilitate widespread dissemination. Implications...
Research within the field of positive psychology and more specifically studies implementing positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have proved effective in building character strengths, increasing positive affect, reducing negative affect, and ultimately enhancing wellbeing in adults, adolescents, and children. Notably, a large proportion of these studies focused on non-clinical populations. More recently however, studies within clinical, susceptible, and referred populations have been successful in enhancing positive characteristics whilst reducing psychological distress and symptoms of psychopathology. Despite the burgeoning research within this field, little is known about the impact PPIs have on vulnerable adolescents residing in child and youth care centres (CYCCs). By the transformational nature of adolescence, this period of life can be experienced by family-nurtured youths as stressful, confusing, difficult, and unsettling. These experienced pressures and emotions may be exacerbated in less fortunate adolescents residing in CYCCs. A primary developmental task that requires mastery during this frequently tumultuous phase is that of identity formation. As such, adolescence is a prime time to introduce interventions aimed at identifying and building character strengths, developing future aspirations, and enhancing wellbeing. Development of such positive characteristics may contribute to successful transformation of this psychosocial stage of development. The aim of this study was to implement a PPI among a group of adolescents residing in a CYCC within the Gauteng province of South Africa, and to evaluate its effect on levels of hope and wellbeing within this vulnerable population. To achieve this aim, a quantitative quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was implemented. Both the presence of wellbeing and the absence of psychopathology can be viewed as symptoms of complete mental health. As such, wellbeing and psychopathology along with hope were measured before as well as one and five weeks after the intervention. The sample comprised adolescents (N=29) from a single care facility, who through matched sampling were allocated to either the experimental (N=14) or the control (N=15) group. The experimental group partook in one-hour weekly intervention sessions for a period of six weeks. To determine whether the PPI had a significant impact on adolescents’ levels of hope and wellbeing, independent- and paired-samples t-tests were conducted to establish group differences at the three time intervals (before, one, and five weeks after the intervention). iii Surprisingly, the results indicated no statistically significant changes in levels of hope or wellbeing between the experimental and control groups one week after the intervention or at the follow-up assessment four weeks later. Additionally, neither group experienced significant within group transformations on measures of hope or wellbeing one or five weeks after the intervention. Further research is needed to better understand the impact PPIs have on vulnerable adolescents. Recommendations for future research within this context are discussed.