Can we develop mental wellbeing and flourish? An introduction to positive psychology.

Rosie is a 2nd year psychology student at the University of Bath and the wellbeing student team lead for Future Frontline. Interested in the mind-body connection, she aspires to pursue a career in clinical health psychology: considering how mental health can influence physical health conditions. She enjoys exploring research into how we can maintain our mental wellbeing. Her instagram is @mindbodystrategist.

Positive psychology is not even 25 years old, yet it has gained remarkable attention and received hundreds of million dollars in research grants (Vox, 2019). In 2007, US soldiers started to receive ‘Battlemind’ positive psychology training to build resilience and mental wellbeing (Castro, Hoge & Cox, 2006). Yale University announced that their 2018 positive psychology course ‘Psychology and the Good Life’ was the most popular course in the university’s history (Yale News, 2018), inspiring UK universities such as Bristol and Bath to offer similar modules.

So, what exactly is positive psychology?

Traditionally, psychology has focused on moving individuals from suffering to a normal range of distress. However ‘health is not merely the absence of disease” (WHO, 1948) - wellbeing includes factors such as happiness, life satisfaction and personal growth (White, Uttl & Holder, 2019). This is where positive psychology takes the stage.

Positive psychology aims to move individuals from average psychological and physical health to a state of flourishing (Duckworth, Steen, & Seligman, 2005). Its focus is to ‘build what’s strong’, instead of ‘fix what’s wrong’ (HarvardHealth, 2008). In this way, it acts as a much needed complement to traditional psychology. 

Is positive psychology about being positive all the time?

It may give off this impression at first...but this is not the case. Wellbeing is not about feeling good all the time. Excessive happiness is not a magic antidote to a fulfilled life: Larsen et al. (2003) outline how both positive and negative emotions allow individuals to adapt to stress and ‘turn adversity into advantage’. Positive psychology respects this, aiming for ‘the optimal balance between positive and negative thinking’ (Seligman, 2004).

Why is positive psychology important?

•  An extensive body of research indicates that improving happiness holds vast benefits, such as: improved mental and physical health, creativity and relationships (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005).

•  From a public health perspective, self-help positive psychology interventions can serve as cost-effective tools to support mental wellbeing (Bolier et al., 2013).

• Low levels of wellbeing can be a risk factor for psychological distress (Wood & Joseph, 2010). Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) could help prevent mental ill-health and support recovering individuals.

We have interventions to help maintain physical wellbeing, such as the NHS Couch to 5K and encouragement to eat our 5-a day...why wouldn’t we have the same for mental wellbeing?

How can I help support my mental wellbeing?

Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) are specific activities which aim to enhance mental wellbeing.

Meta-analyses and systematic reviews combine multiple studies to come to a more rounded conclusion. Taken together, this evidence (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Bolier et al., 2013; Chakhssi et al., 2018; Loveday, Lovell & Jones, 2018; White, Uttl & Holder, 2019) suggests that: 

•  PPIs significantly enhance psychological wellbeing.

• PPIs may alleviate symptoms of depression, however findings are variable.

Research also suggests that positive changes can be sustained over time. The’ broaden and build’ theory outlines how positive emotion may result in an upward spiral, which contributes to sustained mental wellbeing (Fredrickson, 2001). 

Listed below are some examples of the PPIs from the reviews above. You may want to try some and see what works for you.

• Three good things - Each day, write down three things that went well and what caused them.

• You at your best - Write about a time when you were at your best and then reflect on what personal strengths you displayed. Regularly remind yourself of this time.

• Visualising your best possible self- Think about your future and visualise all your life goals and dreams having gone to plan, in exactly the way you wanted. Write down your vision and how your future self feels.

•  Identify and use signature strengths in a new way - Peterson, Park, & Seligman (2005) have suggested that there are 24 key character strengths, like curiosity and zest, that contribute to our wellbeing. Identify your top 5 signature strengths (sign up and take a free survey here: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths) and then use one of these top strengths in a new and different way every day for one week. Notice how you feel.

Note: this is not a comprehensive list- there are many other interventions in the field such as acts of kindness, mindfulness-based strength practices and positive psychotherapy (White, Uttl & Holder, 2019).

A number of moderating factors may influence the impact of PPIs. Research suggests that benefits may be greater if: an individual is interested and motivated in the practices (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), performs them long-term (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Bolier et al., 2013), and practises more than one (Fordyce, 1983; Seligman et al., 2005).

What does future research need to consider?

• The meta-analyses above clump PPIs together to assess overall efficacy. We now need to explore the effectiveness of individual interventions.

• PPIs may not be a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. The majority of psychological research is based on averages, which can overlook important individual differences. Schueller (2011) found evidence to suggest that tailoring interventions to individual needs, such as personality, may increase effectiveness. Take some time to find an intervention that feels right for you.

Takeaway

What activities help maintain your own wellbeing? How can you practice them more consistently? Are there any others you want to try?

Interested in positive psychology?  Yale’s positive psychology course ‘The Science of Wellbeing’ is available for free on Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

References

Bolier, L., Haverman, M., Westerhof, G. J., Riper, H., Smit, F., & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC public health, 13(1), 119.

Castro, C. A., Hoge, C. W., & Cox, A. L. (2006). Battlemind training: Building soldier resiliency. Walter Reed Army Inst Of Research Silver Spring Md Dept Of Military Psychiatry.

Chakhssi, F., Kraiss, J. T., Sommers-Spijkerman, M., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2018). The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in clinical samples with psychiatric or somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 211.

Duckworth, A., Steen, T. A., & Seligman, M. E. (2005). Positive psychology in clinical practice. Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol., 1, 629-651.

Fordyce, M. W. (1983). A program to increase happiness: Further studies. Journal of counseling psychology, 30(4), 483.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American psychologist, 56(3), 218.

Harvard Mental Health Letter. (2008). Positive Psychology in Practice. Retrieved 3 September 2020 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/positive_psychology_in_practice .

Larsen JT, Hemenover SH, Norris CJ, Cacioppo JT. (2003). Turning adversity to advantage: On the virtues of the coactivation of positive and negative emotions. In: Aspinwall LG, Staudinger UM, editors. A psychology of human strengths: Perspectives on an emerging field. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. pp. 211–216.

Loveday, P. M., Lovell, G. P., & Jones, C. M. (2018). The best possible selves intervention: A review of the literature to evaluate efficacy and guide future research. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(2), 607-628.

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success?. Psychological bulletin, 131(6), 803.

Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. American psychologist, 60(5), 410.

Schueller, S. M. (2011). To each his own well-being boosting intervention: Using preference to guide selection. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(4), 300-313.

Seligman, M. E. (2004). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. Simon and Schuster.

Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2009). Enhancing well‐being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: A practice‐friendly meta‐analysis. Journal of clinical psychology, 65(5), 467-487.

Vox, 2019. Is positive psychology all its cracked up to be? Retrieved 3rd September 2020 from https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/11/13/20955328/positive-psychology-martin-seligman-happiness-religion-secularism

White, C. A., Uttl, B., & Holder, M. D. (2019). Meta-analyses of positive psychology interventions: The effects are much smaller than previously reported. PloS one, 14(5), e0216588.

Wood, AM & Joseph, S. (2010). The absence of positive psychological (eudemonic) well-being as a risk factor for depression: a ten year cohort study. J Affect Disord. 122(3):213–7

Yale News, 2018. ‘The Science of Wellbeing’: Yale’s most popular class ever available on Coursera. Retrieved 3 September 2020 from https://news.yale.edu/2018/02/20/yales-most-popular-class-ever-be-available-coursera