Positive Psychology Interventions: An Overview

This article explores positive psychology interventions and their impact on mental health. It discusses the concept of well-being and the effectiveness of interventions like interpersonal therapy. The study conducted in Australia is also discussed, along with its findings and limitations.

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POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
By (Student’s Name)
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POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction
Positive psychology interventions refer to psychological interventions which include
therapy, training and exercise mainly focused on uplifting, positive wellbeing regarding feelings,
cognitions and personality as opposed to interventions that target to reduce symptoms, disorders
or problems. In a few decades ago, several psychological treatments have been established for
various related psychopathology symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Effectiveness has
been realised in cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy and problem-solving
therapy. Preventive and early interventions like the Don’t panic course, Coping with Depression
Course, Counting your blessings, coming up with personal goals, practising kindness, expressing
gratitude, using individual strengths to improve well-being and Living Life to the Full is some of
the developed interventions (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2014).
Mental health is a condition of well-being such that a person becomes aware of his or her
abilities and can withstand the normal stresses of life, can perform productively and can make a
contribution to the community he or she belongs (Steve 2016). People can experience the
freedom of mental illness and at the same time feel unhappy and showcase a high level of
dysfunction in everyday life. Also, people suffering from mental disorders can experience
happiness by adapting to their illness and enjoy fulfilling good life (Donaldson, Dollwet and Rao
2015). Well-being decreases the chances of developing mental disorders and symptoms and
assists in reducing mortality risks in individuals with a disease which is physical. Although the
concept of well-being, being happy and human flourishing have been examined for the past
decades, there was a deficiency of evidence-based interventions.

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The positive psychology interventions all apply the concept of positive psychology which
the sub-branch of the psychology discipline and it merely means, the study of the way human
beings manoeuvre in the times of adversity.It aims at identifying and enhancing the human
strengths and virtues that make life worth living and enable people and communities to succeed
or thrive. I implemented interpersonal therapy intervention using Positive Clinical Psychology.
The findings on the impact of Positive Psychology in clinical practice is still an on-going project.
However, several studies have been done which indicate the validity of these interventions in
clinical psychology treatment (Proyer et al. 2015).
Interpersonal therapy intervention
Overview and goals:
Research in the previous majorly focused on the presence of negative traits of personality
and the way along with the impaired well-being created vulnerability on the development of
depression. The aspects of life which were positive appeared to have been left, and the aim is to
explore how the absence of the positive traits results in an additional depression risk factor.
To handle the concept of well-being fully, it is categorized into two separate parts:
Subjective which is also termed as hedonic and psychological also termed as eudemonic well-
being. Subjective well-being covers the emotional functioning of a person’s subjective
evaluation of life while psychological targets on more existential concerns and how the person
interacts with the world (Csikszentmihalyi 2014).
I carried out the intervention at in two places (place A and B) in Australia respectively,
and where the number of 5876 individuals took part in the study, females were 58% ages
between 53 and 59 those in A and 61 and 66 those in B. I took into consideration of the vehicle
ownership, homeownership, and annual income/assets. Marital, education and status of

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employment. In addition to these economic and demographic factors, I considered current illness
and personality of the participants. Participants also went through the CES-D measure which
assessed their current level of depression. This exercise took five days to complete; it began in
the morning from 10. 30 AM to 4.30 PM in the evening. At A, the subjects finished the 18-item
version of the Psychological Well-Being Scale which gives an overall Psychological Well-Being
score for each participant and also the six sub-scales which include the personal growth and
autonomy (Oettingen and Stephens 2009).
Findings
The analysis was aimed at exploring whether individuals reporting a low Psychological
Well-Being at Mombasa (53-59) had higher chances of being depressed at B (age 61 to 66).
Generally, 13.84% of the whole sample underwent depression at B.
Subjects 90 of the normally functioning were depressed at B as compared to 188 and 479
in the impaired and low groups respectively.
Also, as the health, economic and demographic variables were added in the analysis, low
psychological well-being still substantially depression indicator at the 10-year sequence.
Participants with low PWB two times likely to show depression compared to non-
impaired individuals.
When considering subjects current prevailing illnesses, the majority were seen to
significant depression risk factors, with inclusion to circulation problems and back trouble.
However, it clearly shows that low Psychological Well-Being indicates to be the significant risk
factor as compared to any current health predicaments.
Table of Main effects
Measures of n N studies Cohen’s( 96% Overall effect

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outcome CI) test
Subjective well-
being
12 Ne=1224
Nc=1035
32, 45, 67,
98, 56, 54, 67
0.35( 0.23-
0.46)
Z= 6.87 (p
<0.1
Psychological
well-being
20 Ne=1400
Nc=900
65, 67, 68,
78, 90,
0.21(0.10-
0.32)
Z =4.89
(p<0.1)
Depression 14 Ne=946
Nc=745
40, 57, 68,
78, 70
0.24( 0.07-
0.43)
Z= 3.45 ( p<
0.30)
Follow-up
Subjective well-
being
8 Ne=800
Nc= 645
49, 43, 74,
83, 87, 96,
97, 99
0.23( 0.09-
0.39)
Z= 4.27 ( p<
0.2)
Psychological
well-being
4 Ne=806
Nc=734
39, 48, 53, 32 0.17(0.06-
0.50)
Z= 3.35 ( p<
0.1)
Depression 5 Ne=700
Nc=543
43, 54, 67,
79, 54
0.15(0.05-
0.56)
Z=2.37 ( p<
0.15)
n= Number of studies, Ne=Number of subjects in experimental group , N= Number of subjects,
Nc= Number of subjects in control group.
The current study indicates the way the negligence of the positive well-being is an
indicative factor of future depression, despite controlling confounding phenomena such as
personality and current economic and health conditions (Yates, Tyrell and Masten 2015).

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Understanding the Psychological Well- Being is vital for the further awareness of
depression, also interventions that are being been being taken up to assist in promoting PWB of
treating and preventing depression (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson 2014).
Shortcomings
Generally, this intervention consists of few demerits which outstanding quality. When
life difficulties confront, some individuals become prone to depression while others are not, this
shows substantial personal differences when depressive conditions come about and self –reports
highlight that (Algoe and Zhaoyang 2016). The fact that my study took into consideration of a
single group of individuals of mid 50’s and mid 60’s
Conclusion
Evidence backs up positive interventions that are being implemented to boost the
population’s Psychological Well Being in trying not only to treat but also prevent depression as
well and several other mental conditions.

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References:
Algoe, S.B. and Zhaoyang, R., 2016. Positive psychology in context: Effects of expressing
gratitude in ongoing relationships depend on perceptions of enactor responsiveness. The journal
of positive psychology, 11(4), pp.399-415.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. and Larson, R., 2014. Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp.
209-226). Dordrecht: Springer.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2014. Toward a psychology of optimal experience. In Flow and the
foundations of positive psychology (pp. 209-226). Springer Netherlands.
Donaldson, S.I., Dollwet, M. and Rao, M.A., 2015. Happiness, excellence, and optimal human
functioning revisited: Examining the peer-reviewed literature linked to positive psychology. The
Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(3), pp.185-195.
Oettingen, G, and Stephens , E. J., 2009. Fantasies and motivationally intelligent goal setting.
Proyer, R.T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S. and Ruch, W., 2015. Strengths-based positive
psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a
signature strengths-vs. a lesser strengths-intervention. Frontiers in psychology, 6, p.456.
Proyer, R.T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S. and Ruch, W., 2015. Strengths-based positive
psychology interventions: a randomized placebo-controlled online trial on long-term effects for a
signature strengths-vs. a lesser strengths-intervention. Frontiers in psychology, 6, p.456.
Seligman, M.E. and Csikszentmihalyi, M., 2014. Positive psychology: An introduction. In Flow
and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer Netherlands.

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Steve, B., 2016. Positive psychology. Pearson Education India.
Yates, T.M., Tyrell, F.A. and Masten, A.S., 2015. Resilience theory and the practice of positive
psychology from individuals to societies. Positive Psychology in Practice: Promoting Human
Flourishing in Work, Health, Education, and Everyday Life, Second Edition, pp.773-788.