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Enhancing well-being and alleviating depressive symptoms with positive psychology interventions: a practice-friendly meta-analysis
Open accessAbstract
Do positive psychology interventions-that is, treatment methods or intentional activities aimed at cultivating positive feelings, positive behaviors, or positive cognitions-enhance well-being and ameliorate depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of 51 such interventions with 4,266 individuals was conducted to address this question and to provide practical guidance to clinicians. The results revealed that positive psychology interventions do indeed significantly enhance well-being (mean r=.29) and decrease depressive symptoms (mean r=.31). In addition, several factors were found to impact the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions, including the depression status, self-selection, and age of participants, as well as the format and duration of the interventions. Accordingly, clinicians should be encouraged to incorporate positive psychology techniques into their clinical work, particularly for treating clients who are depressed, relatively older, or highly motivated to improve. Our findings also suggest that clinicians would do well to deliver positive psychology interventions as individual (versus group) therapy and for relatively longer periods of time.
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TL;DR
This meta-analysis of 51 positive psychology interventions with 4,266 participants found that such interventions significantly improved well-being and reduced depressive symptoms. Effects were medium-sized and moderated by participant and intervention features, supporting clinical use especially for depressed, older, self-selected clients and individual, longer formats.
Key findings
- Across 49 well-being studies (4,235 participants), the mean effect size was r = .29 (median .24; range −.31 to .84; 96% positive), significant in fixed- and random-effects models; the fail-safe N was 2,519 versus a tolerance level of 255.
- Across 25 depression studies (1,812 participants), the mean effect size was r = .31 (median .26; range −.28 to .81; 80% favoring the intervention), significant in both models; the fail-safe N was 420 versus a tolerance level of 135.
- Moderators: depressed status and self-selection predicted greater benefit in fixed-effects analyses only; older age predicted greater benefit in both models; individual therapy outperformed group and self-administered formats in both models; longer duration predicted greater well-being gains in fixed effects (random-effects p = .09) but not depression; comparison group type moderated well-being in fixed effects only.
- A binomial effect size display indicated that in a hypothetical group of 200, 65 intervention recipients versus 35 controls would improve well-being, and 66 versus 34 would reduce depression.
Methods
- Meta-analysis of English-language positive psychology intervention studies from 1977–2008. Inclusion required an intervention aimed at increasing positive feelings, behaviors, or cognitions; pre- and post-intervention well-being or depression measures; a comparison group; and effect-size information. Physical health/physical activity and mood-induction studies were excluded.
- Coded moderators included depression status, age, self-selection, intervention format, duration, and comparison group type. Effect sizes were computed as r from d, F, t, p, or descriptive statistics; multiple measures were averaged via Fisher Z transformations.
- Analyses used fixed- and random-effects models, Stouffer-combined significance tests, one-sample t-tests on mean Fisher Z effects, fail-safe N and tolerance estimates, chi-square heterogeneity tests, and contrast/correlation tests for moderators.
Limitations
- The authors state that the meta-analysis is not exhaustive and that moderator findings cannot be interpreted causally because studies were not randomly assigned to moderator levels. They also note likely file-drawer bias for well-being, though the fail-safe N exceeded the tolerance level.
- Evident from the text: the review is limited to English-language studies from 1977–2008 and samples adjacent literatures (e.g., mindfulness, life review, forgiveness), which may restrict generalizability. Fixed- and random-effects models disagreed for some moderators (depression status, self-selection, and comparison group type for well-being), and older adults could not be analyzed for depression because too few studies were available.
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In the paper
“For depression, however, the moderating effect of intervention duration was not significant based on both the fixed effects and random effects models.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Individuals who elected to participate in a PPI-perhaps expecting that the intervention would make them happier or less depressed-were more likely to experience greater gains in WB and depression compared with their non-self-selected counterparts, based on the fixed effects model.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Participant Moderators
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The results revealed that positive psychology interventions do indeed significantly enhance well-being (mean r 5 .29)and decrease depressive symptoms (mean r 5 .31).”
- Also stated in: § Depression · boosted
“The unweighted mean r of .31 was close to the median r (.26) and was highly significant based on both the fixed effects (one-tailed p 5 2 Â 10 À12 ) and the random effects (one-tailed p 5 .0001)models.”
- Also stated in: § Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression? · boosted
“The combined results of 49 studies revealed that PPIs do, in fact, significantly enhance WB, and the combined results of 25 studies showed that PPIs are also effective for treating depressive symptoms.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Abstract
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Also stated in: § Depression · boosted
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although there were not enough studies to include the ''older adult'' group in the moderator analysis for depression, the other age groups nevertheless showed larger decreases in depression as a linear function of age.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Participant Moderators
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Depressed individuals benefited more from PPIs than nondepressed individuals, according to the fixed effects moderator analysis.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Participant Moderators
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The type of comparison group did not have a moderating effect on shifts in depression, based on both the fixed effects and the random effects models.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“In addition, causal conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the moderators because the studies were not randomly assigned to particular moderator levels (Rosenthal, 1991b, p. 81).”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Rosenthal, 1991b
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Several studies have found that exerting high levels of effort to practice a happiness-boosting strategy, and continuing to practice it even after the intervention is over, results in greater improvements in WB and depression (e.g., Lyubomirsky et al., 2008;Seligman et al., 2005).”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Lyubomirsky et al., 2008
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Seligman et al., 2005 source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This indicates that participation in PPIs may be more effective for relieving depression than participation in a no-treatment control group, placebo activity, or treatment as usual.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesWhat the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The file drawer problem was unlikely to threaten the significant results, given that the fail-safe N was 420, which exceeded the tolerance level of 135.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Depression
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedn = 1,812Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- The authors state this as an assumption: The number of unpublished studies is not five times greater than the number of published studies.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 12
- The quote only partly states this claim. 2
- Probably not a substantial claim. 1
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Intervention format had a significant moderating effect on the effectiveness of PPIs, based on both the fixed effects and the random effects models.Specifically, the mean r effect size was greatest for individual therapy, followed by group-administered PPIs, then self-administered PPIs.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Moreover, as in the case of well-being, the set of effect sizes was heterogeneous”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Depression
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one. The quote only partly states this claim.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In particular, studies that compared a PPI to a notreatment control group showed the greatest boost in WB.Positive interventions that were compared with ''treatment as usual'' showed the second greatest benefit, suggesting that PPIs may be more effective than standard treatments.Finally, PPIs also produced greater boosts in WB compared with neutral control and placebo activities.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The fixed effects analysis revealed that the type of comparison group used in a PPI moderated the gains in WB but not when computed using the random effects analysis.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Longer interventions produced greater gains in WB based on the fixed effects model, and this effect approached significance according to the random effects model (one-tailed p 5 .09).”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Methodological Moderators
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Furthermore, the set of effect sizes was heterogeneous (w 2 ð48Þ ¼ 230:92, one-tailed p 5 9 Â 10 À26 ), suggesting the presence of moderator variables.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Well-Being
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Both the fixed effects and random effects models revealed that the benefits of PPIs increase with age.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Participant Moderators
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The results revealed that positive psychology interventions do indeed significantly enhance well-being (mean r 5 .29)and decrease depressive symptoms (mean r 5 .31).”
- Also stated in: § Well-Being · plain
“The unweighted mean r (.29) was close in magnitude to the median r (.24) and was highly significant based on both the fixed effects (one-tailed p 5 0) and the random effects (one-tailed p 5 4 Â 10 À9 ) models.”
- Also stated in: § Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression? · boosted
“The combined results of 49 studies revealed that PPIs do, in fact, significantly enhance WB, and the combined results of 25 studies showed that PPIs are also effective for treating depressive symptoms.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Abstract
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one. The quote only partly states this claim.
- Also stated in: § Well-Being · plain
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Please bear in mind that these findings should be interpreted cautiously, as this meta-analysis is not comprehensive (i.e., does not include all PPI studies ever conducted).”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“PPIs can be especially effective for treating residual symptoms (Fava et al., 1998) and preventing future relapse for formerly depressed clients (Seligman et al., 2006).”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In a hypothetical group of 200 individuals-half the group treated with a PPI, and half the group untreated-65 individuals treated with a PPI would experience gains in WB, compared with only 35 of the individuals in the control group.Similarly, 66 PPI-treated individuals would experience decreased depression, relative to only 34 individuals in the control group.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The magnitude of these effects is medium-sized (mean r 5 .29 for WB, mean r 5 .31for depression), indicating that not only do PPIs work, they work well.”
§ Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depressive Symptoms With Positive Psychology Interventions: A Practice-Friendly Meta-Analysis m > Clinical Practices Do positive psychology interventions effectively boost well-being and ameliorate depression?
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The authors state this as an assumption.
The number of unpublished studies is not five times greater than the number of published studies.
“The tolerance level was also computed to estimate the number of irretrievable studies that possibly exist, based on the assumption that the number of unpublished studies is not five times greater than the number of published ones (Rosenthal & Rosnow, 2008, p. 689).”
The paper relies on this without support.
No systematic quantitative review of positive psychology intervention research had been published before this meta-analysis.
“The general effectiveness of PPIs remains unclear, as no systematic quantitative review of the research has yet been published.”
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“The lack of clarity in the inclusion criteria constitutes a third limitation.”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Their results show that PPIs can indeed be effective in enhancing well-being (r = 0.29, standardized mean difference Cohen’s d = 0.61) and help to reduce depressive symptom levels in clinical populations (r = 0.31, Cohen’s d = 0.65).”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The practice of mindfulness has been found to enhance various qualities including empathy and self-compassion (Birnie et al., 2009), wellbeing and positive emotions (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), emotional self-regulation and cognitive flexibility, and reduce stress and anxiety (Hölzel et al., 2011;Meiklejohn et al., 2012).”
From The influence of teacher-guided mindfulness practice on inter and intra-personal abilities among Israeli Arab students (2024) · cites this paper as Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Several meta-analyses have shown that positive psychology interventions targeting feelings of gratitude, savoring of experiences and sensations, and hope and meaning lead to improved well-being and reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms in both general populations and those considered vulnerable [73-75].”
From Optimization of a Transdiagnostic Mobile Emotion Regulation Intervention for University Students: Protocol for a Microrandomized Trial (2023) · cites this paper as [75]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Meta-analytic reviews of positive psychological interventions designed to cultivate well-being have demonstrated that these interventions can not only have robust effects on increasing well-being, they can also decrease associated depressive symptoms (Sin & Lyubmirksy, 2009).”
From Trajectories of change in well-being during cognitive behavioral therapies for anxiety disorders: Quantifying the impact and covariation with improvements in anxiety (2020) · cites this paper as Sin & Lyubmirksy, 2009
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Intervention studies, although related to positive psychology but not strictly developed within this new framework (e.g. mindfulness, life-review) were included in the meta-analysis.”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Their results show that PPIs can indeed be effective in enhancing well-being (r = 0.29, standardized mean difference Cohen’s d = 0.61) and help to reduce depressive symptom levels in clinical populations (r = 0.31, Cohen’s d = 0.65).”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Second, study quality was not addressed as a potential effect moderator.”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“In addition, we applied stricter inclusion criteria than those used by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) and therefore did not include studies on any related areas such as mindfulness and life review therapy.”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Remarkably, effect sizes in the current meta-analysis are around 0.3 points lower than the effect sizes in the meta-analysis by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) [37].”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) [37]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Two meta-analyses of PPIs for depression and well-being found that these interventions have small to moderate effects in enhancing well-being and decreasing depressive symptoms and that effects are stronger for individual vs. group formats [30, 31].”
From Skills to Enhance Positivity in adolescents at risk for suicide: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial (2023) · cites this paper as [30]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“They are effective in the improvement of depression and well-being [36, 37].”
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis that reviewed 51 positive psychology interventions across a spectrum of domains, found that positive psychology programs significantly increased well-being (mean r=.29) [29] and led to significant reductions in depressive symptoms (mean r=.31).”
From Feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology program for youth mental health: Randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as [29]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis that reviewed 51 positive psychology interventions across a spectrum of domains, found that positive psychology programs significantly increased well-being (mean r=.29) [29] and led to significant reductions in depressive symptoms (mean r=.31).”
From Feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology program for youth mental health: Randomized controlled trial (2014) · cites this paper as [29]
The check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“First, the meta-analysis included both randomized studies and quasi-experimental studies.”
From Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (2013) · cites this paper as Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Vlaeyen and colleagues suggest that avoidance behavior persists due to certain beliefs, such as catastrophic cognitions 25, 337, 338.”
From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [338]
In the citing paper
“The efficacy of PPIs increased linearly with participant age, and depressed individuals benefitted more than non-depressed individuals252.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“A recent meta-analysis of PPIs including data from over four thousand adults indicated a highly significant, moderate effect of PPIs on both well-being (r = 0.29) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.31)252.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“The efficacy of PPIs increased linearly with participant age, and depressed individuals benefitted more than non-depressed individuals252.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“Interventions delivered individually were most effective, followed by those administered in a group, then by self-administered PPIs.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“A recent meta-analysis of PPIs including data from over four thousand adults indicated a highly significant, moderate effect of PPIs on both well-being (r = 0.29) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.31)252.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“Although PPIs are not recommended as a stand-alone treatment for moderate-to-severe MDD, research suggests that PPIs may be useful for the prevention or adjunct treatment of depression252.”
From Psychobiological factors of resilience and depression in late life (2019) · cites this paper as [252]
In the citing paper
“A meta-analysis established that positive psychology interventions as diverse as writing gratitude letters, practising optimistic thinking, replaying positive experiences and socializing have beneficial effects on levels of depression 91.”
From Resilience in mental health: linking psychological and neurobiological perspectives. (2013) · cites this paper as [91]
In the citing paper
“The effect of kindness is small-to-mediumcomparable to other positive psychology interventions (such as 'mindfulness', 'positive thinking' and 'counting your blessings'; d = 0.34, Bolier et al., 2013;d = 0.31, Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009;d = 0.44, Weiss, Westerhof, & Bohlmeijer, 2016).”
From Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor (2018) · cites this paper as Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009
In the citing paper
“Interventions that explicitly target positive emotion show promise for improving health outcomes in a number of chronic illnesses, including diabetes [16,17], heart disease [18,19], hypertension [20,21], depression [22,23], and HIV [24].”
In the citing paper
“interventions based on increasing positive emotion have been shown to relieve symptoms of depression in a meta-analysis [23]”
In the citing paper
“Positive psychology (PP) interventions, which utilize systematic exercises to increase optimism, well-being, and positive affect, consistently increase positive states and are easily delivered to patients with chronic illnesses.”
From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [43]
In the citing paper
“PP interventions have been used in over 4000 mostly healthy subjects and have been found to increase well-being and decrease depression [41, 43], with effect sizes comparable to other psychological interventions [44, 45].”
From Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale, Theoretical Model, and Intervention Development (2015) · cites this paper as [43]
In the citing paper
“moderation analysis revealed higher effect sizes associated with “shotgun” approaches, that is, packages that incorporate multiple positive psychology strategies.”
From Disseminating Self-Help: Positive Psychology Exercises in an Online Trial (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that compared with control conditions, positive interventions lead to reliable and moderate boosts in well-being and improvements in depressive symptoms [23].”
From Disseminating Self-Help: Positive Psychology Exercises in an Online Trial (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“Past research in positive psychology interventions has found that variety is an important moderator of intervention gains and that several techniques are more effective than a single technique [23,36].”
From Disseminating Self-Help: Positive Psychology Exercises in an Online Trial (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“Studies supporting the efficacy of positive activity interventions (PAIs) have been primarily conducted in unselected (non-clinical) community samples and examined single positive activities in isolation (for a meta-analysis, see66, 67).”
From Upregulating the positive affect system in anxiety and depression: Outcomes of a positive activity intervention: Taylor et al. (2017) · cites this paper as [66]
In the citing paper
“Overall, PP exercises have been successfully used by more than 4000 participants in over 50 clinical trials [20,21], though typically in nonclinical populations.”
From Feasibility and utility of positive psychology exercises for suicidal inpatients (2014) · cites this paper as [20]
In the citing paper
“These differences may be related to the fact that the first meta-analyses focused on subjective well-being whereas the second one included 10 different measures of psychological well-being in addition to the PWBS and MHC-SF, for example hope, mastery and purpose in life.”
From Can We Increase Psychological Well-Being? The Effects of Interventions on Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (2016) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“Furthermore, both previous meta-analyses focused on specific positive psychological interventions, whereas our study included a number of different therapeutic interventions.”
From Can We Increase Psychological Well-Being? The Effects of Interventions on Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (2016) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“The effect size of psychological well-being is somewhat lower than the standardized mean difference of .61 that was reported in a meta-analysis by Sin and Lyubomirsky (11) and somewhat higher than the effect of .20 for psychological well-being in a meta-analysis by Bolier et al. [12].”
From Can We Increase Psychological Well-Being? The Effects of Interventions on Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (2016) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“Positive psychology interventions (PPIs), such as mindful self-awareness, gratitude expression, and identifying and utilizing strengths, have been shown to impact both well-being and depressive symptoms [29-31].”
From MoodHacker Mobile Web App With Email for Adults to Self-Manage Mild-to-Moderate Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial (2016) · cites this paper as [29]
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“Third, the benefits of PPIs increased linearly with age, perhaps due to the greater wisdom and more effective emotional regulation and self-regulation associated with older age (Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999; Linley et al., 2007).”
Background
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
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Strengths-based CBT: Internet-Based Versus Face-to-Face Therapy in A Randomized Controlled Trial
Victor, P. P., Krug, I., Vehoff, C., Lyons, N., & Willutzki, U. (2018) · Journal of Depression & Anxiety · doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000301 · Cited by 10
“While results support research on positive interventions’ efficacy, effect sizes in this study were even larger than in other positive interventions in current meta-analyses [20,46].”
ResultBarnes, C., & Mongrain, M. (2019) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1651891 · Cited by 11
Developing Positive Psychological Interventions: Maximizing Efficacy for Use in Eastern Cultures
Ng, S. H., & Lim, W. S. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20020-6_12 · Cited by 12
Spanish Validation Of The Revised Depression Attitude Questionnaire (R-DAQ)
Chérrez-Ojeda, I., Haddad, M., Paz, C. V., Figueira, J. A. V., Roche, J. F., Román, C. O., Moré, S. I., Félix, M., Vanegas, E., & Alvarado-Villa, G. (2019) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s228249 · Cited by 11
“negative cognitive bias associated with these conditions, which has been demonstrated to improve outcomes in these diseases.(34) Although the perception and acceptance”
BackgroundThe mediating effect of gratitude in the relationship between zest for life and depression
Lam, K. K. L. (2020) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110476 · Cited by 10
Goodlett, B. D., Trentacosta, C. J., McLear, C. M., Crespo, L. M., Wheeler, R., Williams, A., Chaudhry, K., & Smith‐Darden, J. P. (2017) · Merrill-palmer Quarterly · doi:10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.63.1.0077 · Cited by 10
“The refinements to interventions could also draw from interventions targeting positive emotions that are gaining traction as innovative treatment options for depression (Garland et al., 2010; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
Psychological predictors of functional outcomes in service members with traumatic brain injury
Ramanathan-Elion, D. M., Baydoun, H. A., & Johnstone, B. (2020) · Brain Injury · doi:10.1080/02699052.2020.1793387 · Cited by 10
Chapter 7. Clinical Assessments of Positive Mental Health
Bech, P. (2015) · Positive Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9781615370818.dj07 · Cited by 10
Organizational Psychological Capital in Family Firms: the Role of Family Firm Heterogeneity
Fischer, D., Greven, A., Eichwald, I. C., Bendig, D., & Brettel, M. (2021) · Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1007/s41471-021-00124-6 · Cited by 11
“To strengthen organizational psychological capital, founder firms might engage in positive psychology interventions specifically designed for family firms (Seligman et al. 2005; Sin and Lyubomirsky 2009).”
BackgroundEffects of accelerated biological age on depressive symptoms in a causal reasoning framework
Gao, S., Deng, H., Wen, S., & Wang, Y. (2023) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.019 · Cited by 9
Schlechter, A. D., McDonald, M., Lerner, D., Yaden, D. B., Clifton, J. D. W., Moerdler-Green, M., & Horwitz, S. M. (2023) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2023.2227719 · Cited by 14
“These activities along with the exercise to use a student’s top character strengths in new and novel ways have been show to elevate well-being in previous research 28 .”
Tönis, K. J. M., Kraiss, J. T., Drossaert, C. H. C., Karreman, J., Oostinga, M. S. D., Kloos, N., Austin, J., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2024) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-024-00793-0 · Cited by 9
“The positive effects of the digital self-help intervention on mental health, both mental well-being and distress, corroborate earlier studies showing that PPIs can have a positive impact on mental health (e.g. Carr et al., 2021; Chakhssi et al., 2018 ; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009 ).”
Sigmundsson, H., Hauge, H., Leversen, J. S. R., & Haga, M. (2024) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2024.1438280 · Cited by 13
An Automated Conversational Agent Self-Help Program: Randomized Controlled Trial
Foran, H. M., Kubb, C., Mueller, J., Poff, S., Ung, M., Li, M., Smith, E. M., Akinyemi, A., Kambadur, M., Waller, F., et al. (2024) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/53829 · Cited by 12
“Health promotion and growth-based interventions can effectively enhance individuals’ life satisfaction [4].”
Ng, T. Y., Ng, T. K., & Siu, O. L. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-05960-8 · Cited by 11
“However, the specific mediating role of civic engagement within low intensity PPIs, particularly in a positive education setting, remains unexplored and has not been empirically tested.”
InfluentialGalloway, R., & Reynolds, B. (2015) · Open Journal of Social Sciences · doi:10.4236/jss.2015.39003 · Cited by 11
“Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) [26], caution against assuming that all positive psychology practices that are effective for adults will be effective for children.”
BackgroundPositive Well-Being and Health
Steptoe, A. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09488-5_14 · Cited by 10
Modification of Affective Trajectory in a Positive Psychology Intervention
Congard, A., Andreotti, E., Dauvier, B., Vigouroux, S. L., & Antoine, P. (2020) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12206 · Cited by 10
Effects of positive psychology interventions in Arab countries: a protocol for a systematic review
Basurrah, A. A., Lambert, L., Setti, A., Murphy, M. F., Warren, M. A., Shrestha, T., & Blasi, Z. D. (2021) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052477 · Cited by 12
An Investigation of a Relationship between Aggression and Wellbeing among Adolescents
Kaur, H. (2018) · Asian Review of Social Sciences · doi:10.51983/arss-2018.7.3.1462 · Cited by 11
Álvarez, M. C., Albuquerque, M. L. L., Neiva, H. P., Cid, L., Teixeira, D., Matos, R. M. N., Antunes, R., Lúcio, L., Sant’Ana, L. D. O., & Monteiro, D. (2022) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina58081097 · Cited by 9
“Therefore, therapies and interventions in patients with FM should act to improve psychological components, as some studies [39,40] revealed that such interventions significantly improve the levels of psychological components, causing an improvement in patients coping with FM.”
BackgroundPromoting Resilience After Stroke in Dyads (ReStoreD): A Supplemental Analysis
Terrill, A. L., Reblin, M., MacKenzie, J. J., Baucom, B., Einerson, J., Cardell, B., Richards, L. G., & Majersik, J. J. (2023) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2023.03.024 · Cited by 9
Leung, J., & Li, K. (2023) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare11152134 · Cited by 9
“There is evidence that a positive psychology intervention approach can cultivate positive feelings, behaviors, or cognitions, enhance well-being, and ameliorate depressive symptoms [46]. symptoms [46].”
BackgroundAlthammer, S. E., Wöhrmann, A. M., & Michel, A. (2023) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/42510 · Cited by 12
“However, interventions are most successful when participants self-select into the study [93], probably because they experience a high need for training.”
Zhang, H., Zhang, X., Liang, X., et al. (2015) · Chinese Medicine · doi:10.4236/cm.2015.62008 · Cited by 9
“Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) is a promising approach to increase happiness and well-being, that is, treatment methods or intentional activities that aim to cultivate positive feelings, behaviors, or cognitions [28].”
BackgroundThe Application of Salutogenesis to Health Development in Youth with Chronic Conditions
Aujoulat, I., Mustin, L., Martin, F., Pélicand, J., & Robinson, J. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-04600-6_32 · Cited by 9
“…rather than risk factors, as was recommended by Antonovsky (Antonovsky, 1996), is congruent with evidence from evaluations of positive psychology interventions (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), as well as recommendations from youth development models (Blum, 1998; Kia-Keating, Dowdy, Morgan, & Noam, 2011).”
Wilson, C., DRAPER, S. W., Brereton, M. F., & Johnson, D. M. (2017) · Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction (OzCHI) · doi:10.1145/3152771.3152802 · Cited by 9
“467] and have provided encouraging results in both the enhancement of wellbeing and the diminishing of depressive symptoms [54, 58].”
BackgroundResultWho is doing well: Age 15 predictors of psychological and physical health in young adulthood
Delfabbro, P., Stevenson, J., Malvaso, C., Duong, D., Winefield, H. R., Winefield, A. H., & Hammarström, A. (2018) · Australian Psychologist · doi:10.1111/ap.12369 · Cited by 10
“Consistent with this suggestion, a meta-analysis of 51 positive psychological interventions (N = 4,226) by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) provided evidence that this approach was effective in both enhancing SWB and reducing depressive symptomatology, with effect sizes ranging from −0.28 to 0.81.”
ResultInfluentialYang, Y., Perkins, D. R., & Stearns, A. E. (2019) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-019-00107-z · Cited by 10
Pilot Test of an Appreciative Inquiry Intervention in Hypertension Self-management
Olayinka, O., Moore, S. M., & Stange, K. C. (2020) · Western Journal of Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/0193945919897077 · Cited by 10
“Positive psychology aims to improve frequency and intensity of positive emotional experiences through intentional actions (Huffman et al., 2016; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundStudents’ Usage of Strengths and General Happiness are Connected via School-related Factors
Vuorinen, K., Hietajärvi, L., & Uusitalo‐Malmivaara, L. (2020) · Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research · doi:10.1080/00313831.2020.1755361 · Cited by 20
The Impact of an Online Happiness Course on Subjective Happiness Among College Students
Rodowicz, C. M., Morris, L. O., Sidman, C. L., & Beyer, K. (2020) · Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal · doi:10.18061/bhac.v4i1.7086 · Cited by 9
“Studies have shown that intervention programs related to happiness can positively contribute to well-being (Bolier, Haverman, Westerhof, Riper, Smit, & Bohlmeijer, 2013; Proyer, Gander, Wellenzohn, & Ruch, 2016; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundValiente, C., Espinosa, R., Contreras, A., Trucharte, A., Caballero, R., & Peinado, V. (2021) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2021.1871940 · Cited by 9
“In relation to the efficacy of PPI, two meta-analyses in predominantly non-clinical samples have shown significant effects on well-being and depression (Bolier et al., 2013; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundWood-Barcalow, N. L., Tylka, T. L., & Judge, C. (2021) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108758796 · Cited by 11
Metrat-Depardon, C. D., & Teo, C. T. (2021) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02039-1 · Cited by 16
“When the control group had no assigned placebo intervention (Senf & Liau, 2013), much less changes within the control group were observed (Lyubomirsky et al., 2011; Seligman, 2011; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundRastad, Z., Golmohammadian, M., Jalali, A., Kaboudi, B., & Kaboudi, M. (2021) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07789 · Cited by 12
Cervantes, R. C., Koutantos, E., Cristo, M., Gonzalez-Guarda, R. M., Fuentes, D., & Gutierrez, N. (2021) · Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1177/07399863211036561 · Cited by 12
“A meta-analysis of positive psychological interventions showed that learning optimistic thinking has positive effects on improved well-being and lower depression (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundDonaldson, S. I., Donaldson, S. I., Chan, L. B., & Kang, K. W. (2021) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-021-00060-0 · Cited by 13
Examining well‐being in posttraumatic stress disorder treatment: An explorative study
Radstaak, M., Hüning, L., Lamers, S. M. A., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2022) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.22798 · Cited by 10
“There is a genetic factor to well-being (Bartels, 2015), and the literature has shown consistently that well-being can be increased (e.g., Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009;Weiss et al., 2016).”
BackgroundHuffman, J. C., Harnedy, L. E., Massey, C. N., Carrillo, A., Feig, E. H., Chung, W., & Celano, C. M. (2022) · Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1080/21642850.2022.2049796 · Cited by 8
“The PP program contained specific activities (see Table 1 and next paragraph below), selected via review of effective PP activities in prior research (Seligman et al., 2005; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009) and our qualitative work focused on well-being in midlife persons (Madva et al., 2018).”
BackgroundMethodKern, M. L., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-64537-3_1 · Cited by 11
Santana, T. T., Baidez, M. M., Gutierrez, K. Y. P., Montero, F. J. O., Fajardo, A. D. L., & Morales, J. L. L. (2022) · Retos · doi:10.47197/retos.v45i0.90753 · Cited by 10
Effects and Mechanisms of a Savoring-Based Single Session Intervention for Partnered Individuals
Wang, B. A., Poole, L. Z., & Balderrama‐Durbin, C. M. (2022) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-022-00065-3 · Cited by 10
“Meta-analysis of positive psychology interventions has found the duration of the interventions to be positively correlated with their efficacy (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
The Measurement of Positive Attitudes: The Glass is Half Full
Fisher, L. B., & Overholser, J. C. (2013) · Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1007/s10942-013-0173-0 · Cited by 9
Subjective Well-Being among Primary Health Care Patients
Özçakır, A., Doğan, F. O., Çakır, Y. T., Bayram, N., & Bilgel, N. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114496 · Cited by 9
“It is hoped that more studies related to life satisfaction and happiness will increase the implementation of PPIs and that through these interventions the subjective well-being of the community will be enhanced.”
BackgroundAssisting Older Women in Combatting Ageist Stereotypes and Improving Attitudes Toward Aging
Dougherty, E. N., Dorr, N., & Pulice, R. T. (2016) · Women & Therapy · doi:10.1080/02703149.2016.1116308 · Cited by 9
“A meta-analysis of 51 studies utilizing positive psychology interventions to enhance wellbeing and reduce depressive symptoms demonstrated that as age increases, the efficacy of this treatment is enhanced (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundProyer, R. T., Gander, F., & Tandler, N. (2016) · Gifted Education International · doi:10.1177/0261429416640334 · Cited by 17
“A recent meta-analysis provides strong support for the notion that positive interventions (including interventions that are not explicitly based on strengths) can enhance well-being and reduce depressive symptoms (Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundContemporary Perspectives on Well-Being
Vella‐Brodrick, D. (2011) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/9781780522012-004 · Cited by 10
Positive Interventions That Erode the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Divide to Promote Lasting Happiness
Vella‐Brodrick, D. (2016) · International handbooks of quality-of-life · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-42445-3_26 · Cited by 10
Psychosocial Well-Being of Children and Adolescents: Intervention Effect and Impact Evaluation
Sarriera, J. C., Bedin, L. M., Strelhow, M. R. W., & Sarriera, J. M. (2017) · Children's well-being · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55601-7_10 · Cited by 11
Efficacy of the Best Possible Self protocol in diabetes self-management: A mixed-methods approach
Gibson, B., Umeh, K. F., Newson, L., & Davies, I. G. (2018) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/1359105318814148 · Cited by 12
“‘Positive’ interventions built on these principles help cultivate positive emotions (Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009) and have seen widespread utility across a variety of health topics (Moskowitz et al., 2017; Peters et al., 2017).”
BackgroundBamonti, P. M., & Fiske, A. (2019) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2019.1683811 · Cited by 9
Positive psychological interventions: An overview.
Parks, A. C., & Titova, L. (2016) · Cited by 13
Pritchard, M., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. J. (2016) · International Coaching Psychology Review · doi:10.53841/bpsicpr.2016.11.1.57 · Cited by 10
“PPi’s increase wellbeing through the cultivation of positive feelings, thoughts and behaviours (sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009). this research employed an Appreciative coaching approach.”
MethodRelación del bienestar psicológico, depresión y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de secundaria
Ojeda, F. J. R., Velasco, A. S., & Moyeda, I. X. G. (2011) · Psicología Iberoamericana · doi:10.48102/pi.v19i2.227 · Cited by 9
Interventions to Promote Healthy & Resilient Organizations (HERO) from Positive Psychology
Llorens, S., Salanova, M., Torrente, P., & Acosta, H. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6470-5_6 · Cited by 9
Positive Psychology in Rehabilitation Psychology Research and Practice
Peter, C., Geyh, S., Ehde, D. M., Müller, R., & Jensen, M. P. (2015) · doi:10.1002/9781118996874.ch27 · Cited by 9
Understanding the Connections between Positive Affect and Health
Cross, M. P., & Pressman, S. D. (2017) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118993811.ch5 · Cited by 10
Designing Positive Organizational Psychology Interventions
Donaldson, S. I., & Chen, C. L. (2021) · doi:10.1002/9781118977415.ch1 · Cited by 9
Hascher, T. (2022) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818630-5.14082-5 · Cited by 13
Mira, A., Díaz-García, A., Castilla, D., Campos, D., Romero, S., Bretón-López, J., García-Palacios, A., Baños, R., & Botella, C. (2019) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-019-2099-2 · Cited by 9
“They are effective in the improvement of depression and well-being [36, 37].”
BackgroundMeral, B. F., Wehmeyer, M. L., Cinisli, N. A., & Yılmaz, E. (2021) · Journal of Intellectual Disability Research · doi:10.1111/jir.12839 · Cited by 8
Gagnon, N., & Dubeau, A. (2023) · Vocations and Learning · doi:10.1007/s12186-023-09326-x · Cited by 8
“…depressive symptoms—has been empirically demonstrated in a variety of settings (e.g., work, school, psychological counselling clinics) and for various types of individuals (e.g., teachers, students, patients, caregivers; see, e.g., meta-analyses by Bolier et al., 2013, and Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundNiemann, L., von Gruner, C., Zhang, X. C., Margraf, J., & Totzeck, C. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16424-x · Cited by 11
“These results are in contrast to previous research: While we found no significant changes in PMH scores of the PoET group, other studies showed positive effects of positive psychology interventions on (psychological) well-being [30–33].”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialGreen Transformational Leadership
Bakeshlo, Z. A., Omidvar, M., & Gigauri, I. (2024) · Advances in marketing, customer relationship management, and e-services book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-3439-3.ch003 · Cited by 10
Wang, D., Li, B., Xin, H., Wu, X., & Xia, J. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1437025 · Cited by 10
“Therefore, rather than working to urge patients to develop positive emotions from bad experiences and experiences, this intervention approach taps into the positive qualities and underlying strengths of patients and responds positively through a series of measures (Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundTarrats-Pons, E., Mussons-Torras, M., & Jiménez-Pérez, Y. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15050571 · Cited by 19
“…a set of theoretically based and empirically validated activities designed to promote the development of beneficial psychological experiences (Kalamatianos et al., 2023; Siriaraya et al., 2024) and a full and prosperous existence (Deng et al., 2024; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Tali´c et al., 2023).”
InfluentialKahler, C. W., Surace, A., Gordon, R. E. F., Cioe, P. A., Spillane, N. S., Parks, A. C., Bock, B. C., & Brown, R. A. (2018) · Contemporary Clinical Trials · doi:10.1016/j.cct.2018.06.013 · Cited by 8
“Positive psychology interventions (PPIs), which focus on cultivating positive affect (PA), cognition, and behavior, have been shown to enhance well-being and decrease depressive symptoms in clinical and non-clinical populations [16, 17], and can be readily integrated into smoking cessation counseling.”
BackgroundTape, N., Branson, V., Dry, M. J., & Turnbull, D. A. (2021) · The Educational and Developmental Psychologist · doi:10.1080/20590776.2021.1986356 · Cited by 13
“A recent meta-analysis of 51 PPIs (n = 4,266) found they were associated with significantly increased well-being and decreased depressive symptoms (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundChen, Q., & Zhu, Y. (2022) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.14012 · Cited by 10
Kaya, R., & Tanrıverdi, D. (2023) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-023-04244-6 · Cited by 14
“In addition, the results of studies in the literature presented that it would be good if the researchers offered positive psychology interventions as individual (versus group) therapy and for relatively longer durations (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Bolier et al., 2013a; Pan et al., 2022).”
InfluentialLaakso, M., Fagerlund, Å., Westerlund-Cook, S., & Eriksson, J. G. (2023) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-023-02618-9 · Cited by 12
“Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) are defined as “treatment methods or intentional activities that aim to cultivate positive feelings, behaviors, or cognitions” (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009, p. 468).”
BackgroundWiduch-Spodyniuk, A. M., Tarnacka, B., Korczyński, B., & Wiśniowska, J. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12227153 · Cited by 8
Kaubisch, S., Kloek, M., Primbs, R., Iglhaut, L., Piechaczek, C., Keim, P., Feldmann, L., Schulte‐Körne, G., & Greimel, E. (2023) · Kindheit und Entwicklung · doi:10.1026/0942-5403/a000426 · Cited by 9
Impact of psychoeducational content delivered online to a positive psychology aware community
Haeck, C., Parks, A. C., & Schueller, S. M. (2015) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1048819 · Cited by 10
“…to this universal pursuit, researchers have developed cognitive and behavioral strategies that have been found to increase both happiness (Parks & Biswas-Diener, 2013; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009) and positive emotions (Diener, Sandvik, & Pavot, 1991; Urry et al., 2004) when practiced in daily life.”
BackgroundMethodUnleashing the Power: Anthony Robbins, Positive Psychology, and the Quest for Human Flourishing
Ramones, S. M. (2011) · Scholarly Commons (University of Pennsylvania) · Cited by 7
Yeung, J. C., & Lun, V. M. (2015) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1037862 · Cited by 8
“…popular self-help materials may benefit people by boosting one’s mood, one should be reminded that positive feeling is only part of the goals of positive psychological interventions (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009) – it would be important to examine how to enhance psychological well-being in the long run.”
BackgroundPositive Interventionen: Stärkenorientierte Ansätze
Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-13760-0_7 · Cited by 8
Altruism and Dāna: Impact on Self and Well-being
Lakshmi, K. (2013) · Journal of Human Values · doi:10.1177/0971685812470338 · Cited by 9
“Psychological well-being is viewed as not only the absence of mental disorder but also the presence of positive psychological resources, including components of hedonic or subjective well-being (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundChapter 1. Introduction: What Is Positive Psychiatry?
Jeste, D. V., & Palmer, B. W. (2015) · American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9781615370818.dj01 · Cited by 8
Ng, S. H. (2016) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-016-9782-5 · Cited by 12
A GROUP INTERVENTION PROGRAMME FOR ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
Fouché, A., & Walker-Williams, H. J. (2016) · Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk · doi:10.15270/52-4-529 · Cited by 8
Molinari, G., Enrique, Á., Herrero, R., Fernández-Llanio Comella, N., Botella, C., & Díaz-García, A. (2017) · REVISTA ARGENTINA DE CLINICA PSICOLOGICA · doi:10.24205/03276716.2017.1031 · Cited by 8
Porta, D., & David, M. (2012) · Cited by 8
Jauncey, T., & Strodl, E. S. (2018) · Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health · doi:10.1080/19349637.2017.1419839 · Cited by 10
“The Satisfaction with Life Scale has been shown to have good test–retest reliability (.82) and criterion and construct validity have been established across various populations (Diener et al., 1985; Pavot & Diener, 2008; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
MethodHappy Family Kitchen II: Participants’ Perspectives of a Community-based Family Intervention
Chu, J. T. W., Ho, H. C. Y., Mui, M. W.-K., Wan, A., Stewart, S. M., Lam, T. H., & Chan, S. S. C. (2018) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-017-0998-8 · Cited by 8
Thomas, K., & Bendtsen, M. (2019) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/12396 · Cited by 7
“Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) aim to promote positive mental health [18,19].”
Gabana, N. T. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20583-6_15 · Cited by 11
Impact of Affect on Lung Transplant Candidate Outcomes
Pennington, K. M., Benzo, R. P., Schneekloth, T. D., Budev, M. M., Chandrashekaran, S., Erasmus, D. B., Lease, E. D., Levine, D. J., Thompson, K. L., Stevens, E., et al. (2019) · Progress in Transplantation · doi:10.1177/1526924819892921 · Cited by 9
“Affect can change, and positive affect has been the focus of prior interventions for improvement in emotional well-being in non-lung transplant populations.(33) Positive affect did not significantly change over time in our cohort, but following a lung transplant negative affect increased.”
BackgroundLearning from Positive Adaptations of Pediatric Cancer Patients to Design Health Technologies
Park, S. Y., Seo, W., Berry, A. B. L., Kim, H., Verma, S., Choi, S. W., & Büyüktür, A. G. (2020) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3313831.3376397 · Cited by 8
Fuochi, G., & Voci, A. (2020) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-020-00329-2 · Cited by 10
Spiritually Oriented Expressive Writing and Promoting Positive Outcomes After a Natural Disaster
Mosher, D. K., Hook, J. N., Captari, L. E., Hodge, A. S., Bellegarde, N., Davis, D. E., McElroy‐Heltzel, S. E., Choe, E. J. Y., Tongeren, D. R. V., Davis, E. B., et al. (2021) · The Counseling Psychologist · doi:10.1177/00110000211010499 · Cited by 8
Demırcı, İ. (2021) · Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi · doi:10.17240/aibuefd.2021.21.62826-656748 · Cited by 8
“Pozitif psikoloji müdahalelerinin iyi oluşu arttırmada ve depresyonu azaltmada etkili olma durumunu araştıran 51 çalışma üzerinde yapılan metaanaliz çalışmasında çoklu ve farklı özellikler içeren müdahalelerin daha etkili olduğu bulunmuştur (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
InfluentialUsing Character Strengths to Address English Writing Anxiety
Gregersen, T., MacIntyre, P. D., & Buck, R. H. (2021) · Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.31261/tapsla.8431 · Cited by 12
“Available, systematic evidence shows that PPIs can be effective (Seligman et al., 2006; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundGratitude and Wellbeing: Cultivating Islamically-Integrated Pathways to Health and Wellness
Pasha-Zaidi, N., Al-Seheel, A. Y., Bridges-Lyman, K., & Dasti, R. (2021) · Cross-cultural advancements in positive psychology · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-72606-5_10 · Cited by 13
Hope for Latino immigrant youth: A longitudinal test of Snyder's Children's Hope Scale
Lin, H., Cox, R. B., Sahbaz, S., Washburn, I. J., Larzelere, R. E., & Greder, K. A. (2022) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/fare.12651 · Cited by 9
Rew, L., Slesnick, N., Johnson, K. E., & Sales, A. (2022) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.12.025 · Cited by 10
Measuring Subjective Wellbeing
Fabian, M. (2022) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197635261.003.0011 · Cited by 8
Na, H., Ekanayake, V., Padilla, V., & Elkins, G. R. (2022) · International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis · doi:10.1080/00207144.2022.2124375 · Cited by 8
“A meta-analysis by Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) evaluated a total of 51 studies of PPIs and their effects on SWB and depressive symptoms.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialHuang, W.-Y., & Wu, C.-E. R. (2024) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440241263638 · Cited by 11
“Therefore, studies have confirmed that positive exercise awareness would help individuals’ exercise behavior (Giles et al., 2018; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Sin, N. L., & Lyubomirsky, S.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sin, Nancy L.
- Lyubomirsky, Sonja
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-03-19
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 467-487
- ISSN
- 0021-9762 (ISSN-L)
- 1097-4679
- OpenAlex
- W2038506024
- Cited by
- 2,955
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 107 · 2025: 175 · 2024: 168 · 2023: 196 · 2022: 231 · 2021: 319 · 2020: 257 · 2019: 246 · 2018: 214 · 2017: 186 · 2016: 212 · 2015: 182 · 2014: 157 · 2013: 104 · 2012: 80
- FWCI
- 9.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- positive psychology interventions, well-being, depressive symptoms, depression treatment, intervention effectiveness, self-selection, intervention duration, age differences, clinician guidance
- MeSH terms
- Depression, Depressive Disorder, Emotions, Humans, Personal Satisfaction, Psychology, Clinical, Psychotherapy, Treatment Outcome
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