Activating values intervention: an integrative pathway to well-being.

Introduction: The present study expands the existing knowledge base regarding positive psychology interventions (PPIs), by employing an integrative approach to explore the potential benefits of translating values into action. Methods: Participants (n = 476) were randomly assigned to the Activating Values intervention, the affirmation-only, or the control (no treatment) group. The intervention involved participants choosing a life area they valued, affirming its importance, identifying a specific action related to that valued area, and then planning and carrying out that chosen action within the following week. Data was collected at baseline and three follow-up points: one, two, and three weeks after the intervention. Results: Results suggest that the intervention contributes to the participants' well-being, including increased self-insight, sense of coherence, and prioritizing meaning, and decreased symptoms of psychopathology. Exploratory content analyses provide a deeper understanding of the content and frequency of activities chosen and the enabling conditions. Discussion: The discussion explores the findings within this intersection as well as ramifications for brief, scalable interventions to support and promote well-being.

Effects of positive psychological interventions on positive and negative emotions in depressed individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Positive psychological interventions (PPIs) are known to be effective in alleviating depression. However, the effect of PPIs on positive and negative emotions in depressed participants is not unclear. AIMS: To systematically investigate the effects of PPIs on positive and negative emotions in depressed individuals. METHODS: 6 databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of PPIs in individuals with depressive disorders or depressive symptoms. Hedges' g value was computed using a random-effects model to determine effect sizes. RESULTS: 14 trials from 13 studies were included. Our meta-analysis showed that PPIs had significant but small effects on improving positive affect (g = 0.33, p = .02), life satisfaction (g = 0.26, p = .03), happiness (g = 0.62, p = .03) and depression (g = -0.32, p = .001), and negligible effects on improving well-being (g = 0.13, p = .24) and negative affect (g = -0.15, p = .31). Subgroup analyses of depression showed that PPIs have experienced benefits in improving depression in most subgroups. In addition, none of the subgroup analyses performed for outcomes other than depression found PPIs to be more effective than controls. CONCLUSION: PPIs can improve positive affect, life satisfaction, happiness and depression in depressed individuals, but further studies are needed to validate their effects on well-being, and negative affect.

Distinct associations between gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism with subjective and psychological well-being among Japanese individuals.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence suggests that the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions is influenced by a variety of factors, including cultural context. Identifying intervention targets that can effectively contribute to improving individual well-being under these boundary conditions is a crucial step when developing viable interventions. To this end, we examined how gratitude disposition, self-esteem, and optimism relate to the subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) of Japanese individuals. METHODS: Multivariate regression analysis was employed to quantify the unique relationships between the three potential intervention targets and both SWB and PWB, while accounting for the influence of other variables. Participants (N = 71) also engaged in a 4-week experience sampling study to explore how gratitude, self-esteem and optimism shape the link between momentary affective states in everyday life and evaluations of day satisfaction. RESULTS: Multivariate regression analysis revealed that self-esteem was predominantly more strongly associated with SWB compared to gratitude disposition, whereas gratitude disposition was more strongly associated with the PWB dimensions, particularly personal growth, positive relations with others and purpose in life. Experience sampling data indicated that while both gratitude disposition and self-esteem moderated the association between momentary positive affect and day satisfaction evaluations, they did so in opposite ways; greater gratitude disposition strengthened the association, while greater self-esteem weakened it. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the current results suggest that while gratitude, self-esteem, and optimism influence individual well-being as a whole, they likely play distinct roles in facilitating SWB and PWB in the studied cohort.

Exploring positive psychology intervention and mindfulness-based intervention in nature: impact on well-being of school students in India.

Introduction: Enhancing the well-being of urban school students is a growing challenge. The online mode of teaching during and post-pandemic era has increased students' daily screen time. As they spend more time indoors, they tend to disconnect from nature even more, adversely impacting their well-being. This study aimed to design and execute two well-being interventions-a positive psychology intervention (PPI) and a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in natural settings for urban school students in India. Methods: One hundred eighty participants (aged 17-20) from a senior secondary school were randomly assigned to three groups: PPI, MBI, and a control group (CTR). Participants self-reported their levels of well-being, gratitude, inclusion of nature in self, sense of connectedness, resilience, awareness, perceived stress, and positive and negative emotions using a survey questionnaire at two times-pre- and post-interventions. Repeated-measures ANOVA was employed across time and groups, and post hoc analyses for group differences were carried out through the Bonferroni test. Results: Results indicate that both PPI and MBI interventions, when executed in natural settings, enhance student well-being, gratitude, inclusion of nature in self, sense of connectedness, resilience, awareness, positive emotions and decreased levels of perceived stress, and negative emotions. Discussion: The study provides valuable insights for school authorities, policymakers, and urban planners to include natural settings in school premises and offer well-being interventions for students to connect with nature consciously.

A Positive Psychology Intervention for Caregivers of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivors (PATH-C): Initial Testing and Single-Arm Pilot Trial.

Caregivers of patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) play a crucial role in supporting their loved ones through physical, emotional, and practical challenges. This role has been associated with high levels of psychological distress and low levels of positive psychological well-being (PPWB). Positive psychology interventions for caregivers in other disease groups (eg, breast cancer) have been associated with improved outcomes. However, positive psychology interventions that specifically address HSCT caregivers' psychological needs are currently lacking. The goal of this single-arm open-pilot trial was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Positive Affect in the Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (PATH) intervention for HSCT Caregivers to identify caregiver preferences to tailor PATH for HSCT caregivers. Adult caregivers of HSCT recipients were eligible for PATH during the HSCT recipient's first 100 d post-transplant. We defined, a priori, feasibility as >60% of participants who start the intervention completing ≥6/9 intervention sessions and acceptability as weekly ratings of ease and utility of the PP exercises ≥7/10 on a 10-point Likert Scale (0 = very difficult/not helpful; 10 = very easy/very helpful). We conducted semistructured qualitative exit interviews (n = 15) to explore HSCT caregivers' perception of PATH's content, benefits of PATH, as well as facilitators and barriers to engaging with the intervention. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using framework-guided rapid analysis by 2 coders. The intervention was feasible with 83% (15/18) of caregivers who started the intervention completing ≥6/9 intervention sessions. Among caregivers who completed ≥6/9 intervention sessions, ratings of ease (mean = 8.1; 95% CI: 7.4, 8.7) and utility (mean = 8.3; 95% CI: 7.8, 8.9) also exceeded our a priori threshold of ≥7/10. Caregivers identified benefits of PATH, including identifying and responding to emotions, dedicating time to self-care, and cultivating important relationships. Sociodemographic factors (eg, being retired) and the manualized structure of PATH were cited as facilitators to intervention engagement. Barriers to PATH engagement included lack of time and competing caregiving responsibilities. Caregivers preferred remote intervention delivery within the first 100 d post HSCT. This is the first study to show a 9-wk, phone-delivered positive psychology intervention is feasible in caregivers of allogeneic HSCT recipients. Our findings also underscore the specific preferences of this population for positive psychology interventions. Larger studies are warranted to establish the efficacy of these interventions in addressing persistent unmet psychological needs for HSCT caregivers.

A participatory approach to understand what might be most meaningful to people living with dementia in a positive psychology intervention.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand which character strengths are most important for people living with dementia and therefore which strengths-based psychological interventions could be most meaningful and acceptable. METHODS: A participatory design, utilising Delphi methodology, was incorporated into an iterative three stage framework: (1) literature reviewed for Positive Psychology (PP) interventions and patient public involvement to define the character strengths; (2) modified Delphi (N = 10) identified which character strengths are most important for living with dementia; (3) focus groups (N = 14) explored which PP interventions are most acceptable and meaningful. Qualitative data from the focus groups was analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Love, kindness and humour were deemed the most important character strengths for living with dementia. Qualitative data from the focus groups was captured in three superordinate themes: (1) lack of opportunity not capacity; (2) key considerations of PP interventions for people living with dementia; and (3) potential benefits of PP interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Love, kindness and humour come naturally to people with dementia, but people may lack social opportunities to use these strengths. Therefore, a PP intervention promoting positive emotion, social relationships and connection to one's values appears most meaningful and acceptable as this may provide a social context to use and maintain these strengths.

Exploring a Gaming-Based Intervention for Unemployed Young Adults: Thematic Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Promoting positive psychologies that promote resilience such as a growth mindset could be beneficial for young, unemployed adults, as many lack the self-esteem and self-efficacy to cope with job search adversity. These young people may be reached at scale through the web-based delivery of self-administered positive psychology interventions. However, past studies report unsatisfying user experiences and a lack of user engagement. A gaming-based experience could be an approach to overcoming these challenges. OBJECTIVE: Our research objective was to explore how young, unemployed adults experience a positive psychology intervention designed as a game to extract learning and principles for future intervention research and development. METHODS: To respond to the research question, a team of researchers at the University of Stavanger worked with designers and developers to conceptualize and build a gaming-based intervention. Feedback from the users was collected through formative usability testing with 18 young adults in the target group. Retrospectively, recordings and notes were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis to extract learnings for the purposes of this paper. RESULTS: A total of 3 themes were identified that pinpoint what we consider to be key priorities for future gaming interventions for unemployed young adults: adaptation to user preferences (eg, need for responding to user preferences), empathic player interaction (eg, need for responsiveness to user inputs and a diverse set of interaction modes), and sensemaking of experience and context (eg, need for explicit presentation of game objectives and need for management of user expectations related to genre). CONCLUSIONS: Feedback from end users in usability-testing sessions was vital to understanding user preferences and needs, as well as to inform ongoing intervention design and development. Our study also shows that game design could make interventions more entertaining and engaging but may distort the intervention if the game narrative is not properly aligned with the intervention intent and objectives. By contrast, a lack of adaptation to user needs may cause a less motivating user experience. Thus, we propose a structured approach to promote alignment between user preferences and needs, intervention objectives, and gameplay.

Positive Psychology Interventions for Improving Self-management Behaviors in Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: a Narrative Review of Current Evidence.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Interests have been emerging in using positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to improve diabetes self-management (DSM) behaviors (e.g., blood glucose monitoring, physical activity). To explore the impact of those interventions on DSM behaviors, we summarized the evidence of PPIs on self-management behaviors among both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients between 2012 and 2022. RECENT FINDINGS: Among the eight studies identified, different study designs and types of PPIs were apparent. Typical PPIs (e.g., activities enhancing positive affect/gratitude/self-affirmation/optimism) were usually applied to T1D patients (N = 5); PPIs were usually combined with motivational interviewing for T2D patients (N = 3). Contrary to expectations, PPIs did not consistently demonstrate positive effects on self-management behaviors' change regardless of the types of diabetes patients, compared to the control groups. Improvements in diabetes patients' self-management behaviors from PPIs are still unclear. Future studies should more rigorously evaluate and identify the active ingredients of PPIs for behavioral changes among diabetes patients.

Identification of psychological constructs for a positive psychology intervention to assist with the adjustment to closed loop technology among adolescents living with type 1 diabetes.

Aim: Adolescents have been identified as the group who struggle most with successful adjustment to closed loop technology. This study aims to identify the psychological constructs that should form part of a positive psychology intervention to assist with the adjustment to closed loop technology among adolescents living with type 1 diabetes. Method: Qualitative document analysis was employed to integrate findings from two documents: a published ongoing intervention study and a recent phenomenological study by the authors. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the documents. Findings: The following themes were identified as important psychological constructs that aid adjustment: the importance of knowledge and education; the process of positive adjustment to closed loop technology; a positive outlook; and building a relationship with diabetes. Conclusion: Interventions are needed to assist adolescents in their adjustment to closed loop technology. The psychological constructs identified served as a starting point in designing an effective, evidence-based intervention grounded in data and theory. Knowledge and education, responsibility, identity, positive affect, gratitude, support, and trust are psychological constructs that need to be included in an intervention program.

The effectiveness of three mobile-based psychological interventions in reducing psychological distress and preventing stress-related changes in the psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune network in breast cancer survivors: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: A growing body of literature shows that psychological distress is not only a major threat to psychological well-being but can also have a significant impact on physical health. In cancer patients, it can negatively affect prognosis and posttreatment recovery processes. Since face-to-face psychological interventions are often inaccessible to cancer patients, researchers have recently been focusing on the effectiveness of eHealth adaptations of well-established approaches. In this context, there has been a call for high-quality randomised controlled trials that would allow for a direct comparison of different approaches, potentially addressing different needs and preferences of patients, and also for more systematic research focusing on how psychological interventions affect not only psychological but also biological markers of stress. Both of these questions are addressed in the present study. Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be carried out to test and compare the effectiveness of three eight-week eHealth programmes for the mental health support of cancer patients. All programmes will be delivered through the same application for mobile devices MOU MindCare. N = 440 of breast cancer survivors will be recruited at the end of their adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both) and randomly assigned to one of the three interventions - Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer (MBCT-Ca), Positive Psychology (PP), or Autogenic Training (AT) - or the treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group. Psychological and biological markers of stress and adaptive functioning will be assessed at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1), three-month follow-up (T2), and nine-month follow-up (T3). Primary outcomes will include heart-rate variability and self-report measures of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, general quality of life, and positive mental health. Secondary outcomes will include the levels of serum cortisol and immunomarkers, sleep quality, fatigue, common health symptoms, and several transdiagnostic psychological variables that are expected to be specifically affected by the MBCT-Ca and PP interventions, including dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, self-compassion, perceived hope, and gratitude. The data will be analysed using the mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) approach. Discussion: This trial is unique in comparing three different eHealth interventions for cancer patients based on three well-established approaches to mental health support delivered on the same platform. The study will allow us to examine whether different types of interventions affect different indicators of mental health. In addition, it will provide valuable data regarding the effects of stress-reducing psychological interventions on the biomarkers of stress playing an essential role in cancer recovery processes and general health.

The Role of Gratitude in a Positive Psychology Group Intervention Program Implemented for Undergraduate Engineering Students.

Over the past decades, research on positive psychology for building strengths has proliferated. The present study aimed to explore the effect of gratitude in a 5-week positive psychology group program for undergraduate engineering students which included an intermediary 2-week gratitude intervention. In a mixed-design, 69 students from three engineering departments of the School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPETE), assigned to the intervention (N = 34) and the control group (N = 35), with an average age of 21.52 years (SD = 4.63), were administered the Gratitude Questionnaire-six item form (GQ-6), the Modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R). The condition experimental vs. control group was designated as the between-subjects factor, and time, that is, baseline vs. post intervention, was set as the within-subjects factor. Students who received the intervention reported significantly higher levels of gratitude. The increase in gratitude was due to the positive psychology group program. In addition, gratitude showed a significant effect on happiness and optimism, but failed to attain a significant impact on positive and negative emotions and resilience. Further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of positive psychology programs for undergraduate engineering students and the intervening cognitive processes.

The effects of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in patients with cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been found to be effective for psychiatric and somatic disorders. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs and to examine their effects on mental well-being and distress using meta-analyses. METHODS: This study was preregistered on OSF (https://osf.io/95sjg/). A systematic search was performed in PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus. Studies were included if they examined the effectiveness of PPIs on well-being for patients with CVD. Quality assessment was based on the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias. Three-level mixed-effects meta-regression models were used to analyze effect sizes of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RESULTS: Twenty studies with 1222 participants were included, of which 15 were RCTs. Included studies showed high variability in study and intervention characteristics. Meta-analyses showed significant effects for mental well-being (ß = 0.33) and distress (ß = 0.34) at post-intervention and the effects were still significant at follow-up. Five of the 15 RCTs were classified as having fair quality, while the remaining had low quality. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PPIs are effective in improving well-being and distress in patients with CVD and could therefore be a valuable addition for clinical practice. However, there is a need for more rigorous studies that are adequately powered and that help us understand what PPIs are most effective for which patient.

Nostalgia: A potential pathway to greater well-being.

Nostalgia is a bittersweet-yet predominantly positive-emotion felt when one reflects on personally meaningful memories, especially those that are shared with close others. Research demonstrates that nostalgizing can promote well-being, but nostalgic reflection is not often discussed among other cognitive and behavioral strategies used to enhance long-term well-being (i.e., Positive Psychology Interventions [PPIs]). Accumulating evidence shows that PPIs increase well-being, and we think that nostalgizing should be considered among these types of practices. We discuss the mechanisms by which nostalgizing may promote well-being over time, as well as the potential boundary conditions of this effect. Lastly, we present evidence that nostalgia's bittersweet character does not undermine its ability to promote well-being over time.

Effectiveness of a bite-sized web-based intervention to improve healthcare worker wellbeing: A randomized clinical trial of WISER.

Importance: Problems with the wellbeing of healthcare workers (HCWs) are widespread and associated with detrimental consequences for the workforce, organizations, and patients. Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of the Web-based Implementation for the Science of Enhancing Resilience (WISER) intervention, a positive psychology program, to improve six dimensions of the wellbeing of HCWs. Design: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of HCWs between 1 April 2018 and 22 July 2019. Cohort 1 received WISER daily for 10 days. Cohort 2 acted as a waitlist control before receiving WISER. Setting: Web-based intervention for actively employed HCWs across the United States. Participants: Eligibility criteria included being ≥18 years old and working as a HCW. Each participant was randomized to start the intervention or serve as a waitlist control for 14 days before starting the intervention. Interventions: Cohorts received links via 10 texts exposing them to introductory videos and positive psychology exercises (3 good things, cultivating awe, random acts of kindness, cultivating relationships, and gratitude letters). Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcome was emotional exhaustion; secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms, work-life integration, happiness, emotional thriving, and emotional recovery. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1-week post-intervention (primary endpoint), and 1, 6, and 12-month post-intervention. Outcomes were measured using six validated wellbeing instruments, rescaled to 100-point scales for comparison. Six items assessed participants' WISER experience. The analysis employed mixed-effects models. Results: In cohorts 1 and 2, 241 and 241 initiated WISER, and 178 (74%) and 186 (77%) completed the 6-month follow-up, respectively. Cohort populations were similar at baseline, mostly female (81; 76%) and nurses (34; 32%) or physicians (22; 23%), with 1-10 years of experience in their current position (54; 52%). Relative to control, WISER significantly improved depressive symptoms [-7.5 (95%CI: -11.0, -4.0), p < 0.001], work-life integration [6.5 (95%CI: 4.1, 8.9), p < 0.001], happiness [5.7 (95%CI: 3.0, 8.4), p < 0.001], emotional thriving [6.4 (95%CI: 2.5, 10.3), p = 0.001], and emotional recovery [5.3 (95%CI: 1.7, 8.9), p = 0.004], but not emotional exhaustion [-3.7 (95%CI: -8.2, 0.8), p = 0.11] at 1 week. Combined cohort results at 1, 6, and 12 months showed that all six wellbeing outcomes were significantly improved relative to baseline (p < 0.05 for all). Favorable impressions of WISER were reported by 87% of participants at the 6-month post-assessment. Conclusion and relevance: WISER improved HCW depressive symptoms, work-life integration, happiness, emotional thriving, and emotional recovery. Improvements in all HCW wellbeing outcomes endured at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. HCW's impressions of WISER were positive. Clinical trials number: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/, identifier: NCT02603133. Web-based Implementation for the Science of Enhancing Resilience Study (WISER).

Hot Yoga Leads to Greater Well-being: A Six-week Experience-sampling RCT in Healthy Adults

Practicing hot yoga may bring significant psychological benefits, but it is largely unstudied. We examined the effects of hot yoga on multifaceted well-being indicators with 290 healthy yoga-naïve volunteers partaking in a six-week randomized controlled trial. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-intervention, and reported their emotional experiences four times per day throughout an experience-sampling study. Results revealed that the hot yoga group (n = 137) improved their well-being from pre- to post-treatment, comparing to the wait-list control group (n = 153). These improvements included life satisfaction, general health, mindfulness, peace of mind, and eudaimonic well-being (ΔR2 ranging from .01 to .08)—but not flourishing, which describes major aspects of social-psychological functioning. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that momentary positive emotional experiences increased significantly throughout the trial in the yoga group only (conditional R2 = .68), particularly when attending a yoga class (conditional R2 = .50). Interestingly, this increase in momentary positive emotion explained the improvement in post-intervention mindfulness, peace of mind, and general health by 21%, 31%, and 11%, respectively. Finally, the benefits of hot yoga were more notable in individuals with lower levels of baseline eudaimonic well-being (conditional R2 = .45), flourishing (conditional R2 = .61), and mental well-being (conditional R2 = .65), even after ruling out any possible ceiling effects. To sum up, this study demonstrated multiple psychological benefits of hot yoga and its potential to be an effective positive psychology intervention. Future research—especially considering an active control group—is warranted. (AU)

La práctica del hot yoga puede aportar importantes ventajas psicológicas, aunque apenas se ha estudiado. Analizamos los efectos del hot yoga sobre una gran variedad de indicadores de bienestar en una muestra de 290 voluntarios sin experiencia en yoga que tomaron parte en un ensayo controlado aleatorio de seis semanas. Los participantes contestaron cuestionarios antes y después de la intervención, dando cuenta de sus experiencias emocionales cuatro veces al día a lo largo de un estudio de muestreo de experiencias. Los resultados mostraron que el bienestar del grupo de hot yoga (n = 137) aumentó del pretratamiento al postratamiento en comparación con el grupo de control de lista de espera (n = 153), mejorando la satisfacción en la vida, la salud en general, la atención plena, la paz mental y el bienestar eudaimónico (ΔR2 entre .01 y .08), aunque no en prosperidad psicosocial, que describe aspectos importantes del funcionamiento social psicológico. Los análisis multinivel desvelaron que se daba un gran aumento de las experiencias emocionales positivas momentáneas a lo largo de todo el ensayo únicamente en el grupo de yoga (R2 condicional = .68), sobre todo al asistir a clase de yoga (R2 condicional = .50). Es interesante ver que este aumento de la emoción positiva momentánea explicaba la mejora de la atención plena, la paz mental y la salud en general en un 21%, 31% y 11% respectivamente tras la intervención. Por último, los beneficios del hot yoga destacaban más en personas con menor bienestar eudaimónico base (R2 condicional = 45), prosperidad psicosocial (R2 condicional = .61) y bienestar mental (R2 condicional = .65), incluso tras descartar los posibles efectos techo. Resumiendo, este estudio ha demostrado los muchos efectos psicológicos del hot yoga y su potencial como eficaz intervención en psicología positiva. La investigación futura (en especial teniendo en cuenta un grupo de control activo) está justificada. (AU)

Assessing Resources in a Population of Hemodialysis Patients: A New Approach to Improve Quality of Care.

Hemodialysis patients constitute a vulnerable population. Their health needs are considerable and they often present psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Empirical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of positive psychology interventions to enhance the well-being of patients and alleviate their depressive symptoms. One such intervention consists in identifying and mobilizing patient resources to activate their recovery. An intervention of the sort was implemented in Switzerland with hemodialysis nurses using AERES, a novel self-assessment instrument. AERES covers 31 domains under three dimensions: personal characteristics/qualities, hobbies/passions, and social/environmental resources. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore hemodialysis nurse perceptions of the use of this instrument. Sixteen hemodialysis nurses were recruited in six hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland and interviewed after delivering the intervention. A consensual qualitative research method was used to analyze the data. Results showed that the resources instrument was easy to administer and beneficial to patients and health professionals. Patient wellbeing became the top priority for the nurses and new interventions centered on patient resources were undertaken. Quality of patient care was improved. Nurses perceived this positive psychology instrument as a means of creating a positive relationship with patients and supporting them emotionally. Assessing the resources of this vulnerable population can provide health professionals with a powerful tool to understand patient intact resources, which can be used to alleviate symptoms and foster wellbeing.

Do beliefs in the malleability of well-being affect the efficacy of positive psychology interventions? Results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

The present study examines the role of beliefs about the malleability of well-being in a randomized, placebo-controlled, online positive psychology intervention targeting 267 German-speaking adults (83% women, mean age = 43.16 years). The participants of the experimental group ("three good things" intervention) and placebo control group ("early memories") reported their levels of happiness before and immediately after the 1-week intervention, as well as 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the intervention. Furthermore, the researchers recorded how participants completed the exercises and to what extent they liked the exercises. This study also assesses the participants' beliefs surrounding two different aspects of malleability (well-being is modifiable in general, and one knows how to change their well-being). Although both aspects of malleability were strongly intercorrelated, beliefs about how to change one's well-being seemed particularly relevant in the context of positive psychology interventions: Those who reported a stronger belief about how to change their well-being liked the intervention better and more often completed the activity as instructed. Further, they reported greater increases in well-being as compared with the control group. We conclude that beliefs about the malleability of well-being might represent an important moderating variable in the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions.

Cognitive-affective responses to online positive-psychological interventions: The effects of optimistic, grateful, and self-compassionate writing.

Growing evidence suggests that online positive-psychological interventions effectively increase well-being, and a wealth of evidence describes cognitive-affective responses to such interventions. Few studies, however, have directly compared responses across popular exercises such as the best-possible-self intervention, the gratitude letter, or self-compassionate writing. In addition, current evidence is ambiguous regarding the effects of potential moderator variables such as trait gratitude and emotional self-awareness. To address these issues, we randomized 432 German adults to perform either optimism, gratitude, self-compassion, or control writing interventions in an online setting. Participants reported trait gratitude and trait emotional self-awareness before the interventions, as well as momentary optimism, gratitude, self-compassion, positive affect, and current thoughts immediately after the interventions. Results indicate higher momentary optimism after the best-possible-self intervention and higher momentary gratitude after the gratitude letter than after the control task. There were no differences when comparing the best-possible-self intervention with the gratitude letter. Both interventions increased the number of positive self-relevant thoughts. The self-compassion condition showed no effects. Moderation analysis results indicate that neither emotional self-awareness nor trait gratitude moderated the intervention effects. Future studies should compare responses across different positive-psychological interventions using more comprehensive exercises to ensure larger effects.

Hot Yoga Leads to Greater Well-being: A Six-week Experience-sampling RCT in Healthy Adults.

Practicing hot yoga may bring significant psychological benefits, but it is largely unstudied. We examined the effects of hot yoga on multifaceted well-being indicators with 290 healthy yoga-naïve volunteers partaking in a six-week randomized controlled trial. Participants completed questionnaires pre- and post-intervention, and reported their emotional experiences four times per day throughout an experience-sampling study. Results revealed that the hot yoga group (n = 137) improved their well-being from pre- to post-treatment, comparing to the wait-list control group (n = 153). These improvements included life satisfaction, general health, mindfulness, peace of mind, and eudaimonic well-being (ΔR2 ranging from .01 to .08)-but not flourishing, which describes major aspects of social-psychological functioning. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that momentary positive emotional experiences increased significantly throughout the trial in the yoga group only (conditional R2 = .68), particularly when attending a yoga class (conditional R2 = .50). Interestingly, this increase in momentary positive emotion explained the improvement in post-intervention mindfulness, peace of mind, and general health by 21%, 31%, and 11%, respectively. Finally, the benefits of hot yoga were more notable in individuals with lower levels of baseline eudaimonic well-being (conditional R2 = .45), flourishing (conditional R2 = .61), and mental well-being (conditional R2 = .65), even after ruling out any possible ceiling effects. To sum up, this study demonstrated multiple psychological benefits of hot yoga and its potential to be an effective positive psychology intervention. Future research-especially considering an active control group-is warranted.

La práctica del hot yoga puede aportar importantes ventajas psicológicas, aunque apenas se ha estudiado. Analizamos los efectos del hot yoga sobre una gran variedad de indicadores de bienestar en una muestra de 290 voluntarios sin experiencia en yoga que tomaron parte en un ensayo controlado aleatorio de seis semanas. Los participantes contestaron cuestionarios antes y después de la intervención, dando cuenta de sus experiencias emocionales cuatro veces al día a lo largo de un estudio de muestreo de experiencias. Los resultados mostraron que el bienestar del grupo de hot yoga (n = 137) aumentó del pretratamiento al postratamiento en comparación con el grupo de control de lista de espera (n = 153), mejorando la satisfacción en la vida, la salud en general, la atención plena, la paz mental y el bienestar eudaimónico (ΔR2 entre .01 y .08), aunque no en prosperidad psicosocial, que describe aspectos importantes del funcionamiento social psicológico. Los análisis multinivel desvelaron que se daba un gran aumento de las experiencias emocionales positivas momentáneas a lo largo de todo el ensayo únicamente en el grupo de yoga (R2 condicional = .68), sobre todo al asistir a clase de yoga (R2 condicional = .50). Es interesante ver que este aumento de la emoción positiva momentánea explicaba la mejora de la atención plena, la paz mental y la salud en general en un 21%, 31% y 11% respectivamente tras la intervención. Por último, los beneficios del hot yoga destacaban más en personas con menor bienestar eudaimónico base (R2 condicional = 45), prosperidad psicosocial (R2 condicional = .61) y bienestar mental (R2 condicional = .65), incluso tras descartar los posibles efectos techo. Resumiendo, este estudio ha demostrado los muchos efectos psicológicos del hot yoga y su potencial como eficaz intervención en psicología positiva. La investigación futura (en especial teniendo en cuenta un grupo de control activo) está justificada.

The Inspired Life Program: Development of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention for rural adults in Ghana.

Although several theories and studies have explored human strengths and mental well-being at the global level, these insights are rarely tested and translated into practice in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to describe the development of a 10-session multicomponent positive psychology intervention, the Inspired Life Program (ILP), designed to promote mental health and reduce symptoms of depression and negative affect in rural adults in Ghana. Guided by the Medical Research Council's framework for developing complex interventions, a seven-step iterative community-based participatory research approach was adopted to develop the ILP, based on constructs and principles of positive psychology and cognitive-behavioral model. The final intervention components included a 10-session, two-hourly, once-weekly manualized program designed to promote meaningful and purposeful living, self-acceptance, personal growth, goal-setting and problem-solving skills, and positive thinking through group discussion and activity sessions. We describe the program theory and implementation strategy of the final intervention, and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from applying this framework in the study context. The development of strengths-based interventions and practicality of methods to promote positive mental health in rural adults are feasible, and have important policy implications for mental health and social care in sub-Saharan Africa.