The DOI matches its Crossref record; 69 of the 69 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 9 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
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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Written from the paper’s full text.
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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Claims the paper makes
14 Own result · 4 Own interpretation · 2 Sources not found · 2 No full text of the sources · 2 Own method · 1 Not checked yet
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
“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
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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
“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
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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: § 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
boosteddirectn = 1,812 ·- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- 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
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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
“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
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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 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
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In 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.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- 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
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- 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
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
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
“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
hedgedn = 1,812- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- 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
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
plainconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
hedgeddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
hedgedcorrelationaln = 4,235- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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
boosteddirectn = 4,235 ·- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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?
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably 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
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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?
plaindirectn = 200- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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?
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It 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.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source doesn’t support the claim as written.
In the citing paper
“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 cited source doesn’t support the claim as written.
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]
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 measured
The 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
“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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Asif, M., Idrees, M., Ghazal, S., & Ishaq, G. (2022) · ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.54615/2231-7805.47278 · Cited by 8
Effectiveness of rhythmic movement therapy: Case study of subjective well-being
Malkina-Pykh, I. G. (2014) · Body Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy · doi:10.1080/17432979.2014.977822 · Cited by 8
Hurling, R., Linley, A., Dovey, H., Maltby, J., & Wilkinson, J. (2015) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v5i2.3 · Cited by 8
“In a meta-analysis of positive psychology interventions, Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) found a significant correlation with wellbeing (mean r = .29) and also an alleviation of depression (mean r = .31).”
BackgroundInfluentialJoutsenniemi, K. (2014) · Journal of psychiatry · doi:10.4172/psychiatry.1000140 · Cited by 8
Pain and Depressive Symptoms in Primary Care
Hirsch, J. K., Sirois, F. M., Molnar, D. S., & Chang, E. C. (2015) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/ajp.0000000000000292 · Cited by 9
Positive psychology in dual diagnosis: a preliminary investigation
Gomez, K. U., Carson, J. F., & Holland, M. (2016) · Advances in Dual Diagnosis · doi:10.1108/add-01-2016-0001 · Cited by 8
Bamberg, E., & Vincent‐Höper, S. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-49483-7_20 · Cited by 8
What Psychological Science Knows About Achieving Happiness
Nelson, S. K., Kurtz, J. L., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2015) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781483385822.n15 · Cited by 11
“…such as implementing a new exercise routine or improving one’s nutrition (Walsh, 2011), and by engaging in positive activities, such as performing acts of kindness, becoming more grateful, or practicing optimism (see Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009, for a metaanalytic review, or “study of studies”).”
BackgroundSelf-citationLam, J. A., & Kahler, C. W. (2017) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2017.1315649 · Cited by 8
“BITs for PPIs are typically self-guided, which can cause lower user engagement and higher attrition rates (Leykin, Aguilera, Torres, Pérez-Stable, & Muñoz, 2012; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialEl rol de mindfulness en la regulación emocional de la depresión
Moscoso, M. S., & Lengacher, C. A. (2017) · Mindfulness & Compassion · doi:10.1016/j.mincom.2017.08.002 · Cited by 11
Resilience Predicts Social Functioning in Clinically Stable Patients With Bipolar Disorder
Bozikas, V. P., Parlapani, E., Ntouros, E., Bargiota, S. I., Floros, G. D., Nazlidou, E.-I., & Garyfallos, G. (2018) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000000843 · Cited by 8
Positive affect, psychotherapy, and depression
Arora, S., & Sharma, R. (2018) · Indian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.4103/psychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_384_17 · Cited by 11
“[14] Individual therapy targeting at cultivating positive behaviors or positive feelings do enhance well-being and alleviate depressive symptoms, provided that these interventions are continued for longer periods.[15] Folkman and Moskowitz[16] suggested that the positive affect has adaptive functions during chronic st…”
BackgroundGrassi, L. G., Wise, T. N., Cockburn, D., Caruso, R., & Riba, M. (2018) · Integrating psychiatry and primary care · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74736-1_2 · Cited by 13
Hernández, R., Daviglus, M. L., Martinez, L., Durazo-Arvizú, R., Huffman, J. C., Ramirez, F., Tito, L. G., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2019) · Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications · doi:10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100348 · Cited by 10
“Development of psychosocial interventions has overwhelmingly been informed by theories that draw heavily from Western-centric perspectives [47] especially those directly targeting improvements of psychological assets [48,49].”
BackgroundLeibovich, L., Wachtel, P. L., Nof, A., & Zilcha‐Mano, S. (2020) · Psychotherapy · doi:10.1037/pst0000290 · Cited by 8
“These characteristics are consistent with the literature on positive psychology techniques for promoting wellbeing, specifically for helping with depressive symptoms (Layous et al., 2011; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundResultLucey, C., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. J. (2020) · Coaching An International Journal of Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/17521882.2020.1753791 · Cited by 15
Heppe, E. C. M., Willemen, A. M., Kef, S., & Schuengel, C. (2020) · British Journal of Visual Impairment · doi:10.1177/0264619620935944 · Cited by 9
“Most psychological interventions, like cognitive behavioral therapy or positive psychology interventions tested in randomized controlled trials, do outperform wait-list or care-as-usual controls (e.g., Hoffman et al., 2007; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundMillstein, R. A., Thorndike, A. N., Kim, S., Park, E. R., & Huffman, J. C. (2020) · Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications · doi:10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100626 · Cited by 9
Vara, M. D., Mira, A., Miragall, M., García-Palacios, A., Botella, C., Gili, M., Riera-Serra, P., García-Campayo, J., Mayoral-Cleries, F., & Baños, R. M. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17218094 · Cited by 7
“These results emphasize the benefits of including PP exercises and techniques in conventional treatments to promote positive emotions and positive functioning measures [19,20].”
BackgroundWu, Q., & Ying, O. (2022) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.22827 · Cited by 10
Psicología clínica positiva y tecnologías positivas
Guillén, V., Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, S., Botella, C., Universitat Jaume I (Castellón, S. C. F. O. Y. N. (. I. S. C. I. M., Baños, R., & Universidad de Valencia (Valencia, S. (2017) · Papeles del Psicólogo - Psychologist Papers · doi:10.23923/pap.psicol2017.2817 · Cited by 10
Grossman, M. R., Wang, D., & Gruenewald, T. L. (2017) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-017-9935-1 · Cited by 10
“For example, interventions aimed at cultivating positive feelings, behaviors, or cognitions have been found to be effective at enhancing well-being and alleviating depression (Sin and Lyubomirsky 2009).”
BackgroundPutting Positive Psychology Into Practice via Self‐Help
Parks, A. C. (2015) · doi:10.1002/9781118996874.ch14 · Cited by 8
The Promise of Fostering Greater Happiness
Boehm, J. K., Ruberton, P. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2017) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199396511.013.55 · Cited by 7
“…ideal futures, and processing happy life experiences—although numerous others have been described and tested (for reviews, see Bolier et al., 2013; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), including some Web-based activities (e.g., applying personal strengths; Drozd, Mork, Nielsen, Raeder, & Bjorkli, 2014;…”
BackgroundSelf-citationTrajectories of Well-Being in Later Life
Steverink, N. (2019) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.424 · Cited by 11
Assessing Change in Intervention Research: The Benefits of Composite OutcomesPreprint
Moreau, D., & Wiebels, K. (2020) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/t9hw3 · Cited by 7
Das, A., Clerkin, E. M., Tolin, D. F., Assaf, M., & Diefenbach, G. J. (2020) · Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000001228 · Cited by 7
Pardon, K., Kuusisto, A., & Uusitalo‐Malmivaara, L. (2023) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci13111148 · Cited by 16
Hanssen, I., ten Klooster, P. M., Kraiss, J. T., Huijbers, M. J., Regeer, E. J., Kupka, R., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Speckens, A. E. M. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.110 · Cited by 9
Flourishing School Leadership: Perspectives of Canada’s Outstanding Principals
Kutsyuruba, B., Arghash, N., Kharyati, T., & Bosica, J. (2024) · Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy · doi:10.7202/1111523ar · Cited by 10
Μήτσιου, Ε., Kyriakou, A. E., Parlapani, E., Trigoni, A., Trakatelli, M. G., Apalla, Z., Sotiriadis, D., Lazaridou, E., & Patsatsi, A. (2024) · Dermatology Practical & Conceptual · doi:10.5826/dpc.1402a104 · Cited by 7
“Cognitive behavioral therapy may be a promising complementary approach for psoriasis patients with depressive symptoms [66].”
BackgroundThe Effectiveness of Savouring Interventions in Adult Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review
Cullen, K., Murphy, M. F., Blasi, Z. D., & Bryant, F. B. (2024) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-024-00182-1 · Cited by 8
“…meta-analyses have found that therapeutic interventions appear to be more effective when compared to waitlist or no-intervention control groups rather than active or other well-established interventions (Carr et al., 2021; Davis et al., 2016 ; Geerling et al., 2020; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
Fan, Y., He, D., Lin, C., & Chen, G. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-85177-x · Cited by 7
Althammer, S. E., Wöhrmann, A. M., & Michel, A. (2025) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-024-00825-9 · Cited by 9
“However, interventions are most successful when participants sign up for them themselves (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
Hu, Y., Pei, M., Wang, D., Wu, X. C., & Wang, D. (2025) · Journal of Behavioral Addictions · doi:10.1556/2006.2025.00016 · Cited by 10
“…previous research, multi-component positive psychological interventions could provide better bene fi ts in well-being improvement compared with interventions that focused on a single element (Parks, Della Porta, Pierce, Zilca, & Lyubo-mirsky, 2012; Schueller & Parks, 2016; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
Weight stigma: Discrimination and bias against obesity
Duan, W.-J., & Feng, Y. (2018) · Advances in Psychological Science · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1042.2018.01074 · Cited by 6
“心理科学进展 2018, Vol. 26, No. 6, 1074–1082 Advances in Psychological Science DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2018.01074 1074 体重污名：对肥胖的歧视与偏见* 段文杰 冯 宇 (武汉大学社会学系, 武汉 430072) 摘 要 体重污名指个体因超重或肥胖受到的社会污名, 主要表现为公众对这一群体的歧视、偏见、消极态 度, 其测量主要从公众和被污名群体自身展开。它会对被污名个体的心理、行为、身体产生消极影响, 且这些 影响之间存在递进关系。现有体重污名干预研究主要聚焦于减少公众污名、降低体重以及缓解体重污名消极 心理影响三个方向。未来研究…”
InfluentialLomas, T. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20583-6_16 · Cited by 9
Schwerdtfeger, A. R., Rominger, C., Weber, B., & Aluani, I. (2020) · Psychophysiology · doi:10.1111/psyp.13709 · Cited by 7
“…on the assumption of medium effect sizes of micro-interventions on psychological indicators of health (Bolier et al., 2013; Loveday et al., 2016; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009) as well as mediumto-large sized effects of a brief arousal manipulation on cardiovascular indicators of challenge and…”
BackgroundMcEwan, K., Richardson, M., Sheffield, D., Ferguson, F. J., & Brindley, P. (2021) · PsyEcology Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1080/21711976.2020.1851878 · Cited by 7
Lai, A. Y. K., Sit, S. M.-M., Thomas, C., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.739418 · Cited by 7
“A meta-analysis of 51 positive psychology interventions concluded that positive psychology interventions significantly enhanced psychosocial well-being (Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundA Web-Based Positive Psychology App for Patients With Bipolar Disorder: Development Study
Geerling, B., Kelders, S. M., Stevens, A. W. M. M., Kupka, R., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2022) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/39476 · Cited by 7
“Previous meta-analyses have demonstrated that PPIs seem to be more effective in populations that are nondepressed or mildly depressed [28,50] than in populations with major mood disorders [50].”
BackgroundResultMeaninglessness, Depression and Suicidality: A Review of the Evidence
Allen, A. R. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-06932-1_16 · Cited by 8
Schick, M. R., Trinh, C. D., Todi, A. A., & Spillane, N. S. (2023) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-023-00103-8 · Cited by 11
“Meta-analytic reviews examining the efficacy of PPIs have found strong support for their use to reduce depressive symptoms and that these effects last over time (Bolier et al., 2013 ; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009 ).”
Addison, L., & Shapiro, J. (2023) · Coaching An International Journal of Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/17521882.2023.2216776 · Cited by 7
Greene, T., Contractor, A. A., Dicker‐Oren, S. D., Fentem, A., & Sznitman, S. R. (2024) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/51838 · Cited by 8
“PPMT is influenced by positive psychology, a field that emphasizes factors and mechanisms that enhance psychological well-being rather than focusing solely on pathology [18,19].”
BackgroundPain mechanisms for the practicing rheumatologist
Minhas, D. (2024) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology · doi:10.1016/j.berh.2024.101942 · Cited by 8
Leong, C. A., Summers, A., Grote, V. E., Jackson, K., Dowling, G. A., Snowberg, K., Cotten, P. D., Cheung, E. O., Yang, D., Addington, E. L., et al. (2024) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-024-04817-5 · Cited by 7
“Furthermore, the psychological toll of seeing a loved one decline is substantial [3] and puts caregivers at a higher risk than noncaregivers for developing a variety of health issues [4–6], including higher levels of depression [7–9].”
BackgroundEngelhardt, C. L., Meier, M., Keller, S., & Laireiter, A. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0299803 · Cited by 10
Hämpke, J., Diller, S. J., Kerry, N., Clifton, J. D. W., & Frey, D. (2024) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-024-00180-3 · Cited by 7
“…tend to have a greater impact in the long run when they are implemented over a longer duration, allowing for more practice and habit development (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), or when individuals maintain engagement in the intervention activities beyond the intervention period (Lyubomirsky et al.,…”
Chapter 13. Biology of Positive Psychiatry
Moore, R. C., Eyler, L. T., Mills, P. J., O'Hara, R. M., Wachmann, K., & Lavretsky, H. (2015) · American Psychiatric Association Publishing eBooks · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9781615370818.dj13 · Cited by 7
Long-term outcome of a mental health promotion program in Germany
Lyssenko, L., Müller, G., Kleindienst, N., Schmahl, C. G., Berger, T., Eifert, G. H., Kölle, A., Nesch, S., Ommer-Hohl, J., Wenner, M., et al. (2018) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/day008 · Cited by 8
Choubisa, R., & Singh, K. K. (2018) · Cogent Psychology · doi:10.1080/23311908.2018.1488512 · Cited by 7
Positive psychology: an overview for use in mental health nursing
Macfarlane, J., & Carson, J. F. (2019) · British Journal of Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.12968/bjmh.2019.8.1.34 · Cited by 7
이진주, & Kim, E.-J. (2015) · The Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.15842/kjcp.2015.34.2.008 · Cited by 7
Well-being and Perfectionism in Students: Adaptive versus Maladaptive
Fallahchai, R., Fallahi, M., & Jami, A. M. (2019) · Iranian Evolutionary Educational Psychology Journal · doi:10.29252/ieepj.1.3.222 · Cited by 8
“Psychological well-being has been described not only as the absence of mental disorders (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), but as the presence of positive psychological resources consists of subjective well-being (e.g. positive affect, life satisfaction, happiness) as well as components of eudemonic…”
BackgroundAbedian, Z., Shaghaghi, F., Asgharipour, N., et al. (2020) · Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research · doi:10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_104_18 · Cited by 7
“For instance, findings from an analysis on 51 positive psychology interventions[19] and a systematic review revealed the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions on the well‐being of employees and individuals.”
BackgroundHumor in aging: is it able to enhance wellbeing in community dwelling older adults?
Giapraki, M., Μoraitou, D., Pezirkianidis, C., & Stalikas, A. (2020) · Psychology the Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society · doi:10.12681/psy_hps.25342 · Cited by 8
“…work as a coping or defensive mechanism as it helps people deal with difficult or unpleasant situations and challenges in their lives (Celso et al., 2003; Gremigni, 2013; Martin & Kuiper, 2016) as well as adjust their attitude and see things from a positive point of view (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundTorres‐Vallejos, J., Juarros‐Basterretxea, J., Oyanedel, J. C., & Sato, M. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641641 · Cited by 7
“…et al., 2005; Pressman and Cohen, 2005; Howell et al., 2007; Davidson et al., 2010; Kushlev et al., 2020), better mental health (Keyes, 2006; Sin and Lyubomirsky, 2009; Werner-Seidler et al., 2013; Germani et al., 2020), higher life expectancy (Diener and Chan, 2011; Zaninotto and Steptoe,…”
BackgroundHappiness in the Lab: What Can Be Learned About Subjective Well-Being from Experiments?
Ifcher, J., Zarghamee, H., & Goff, S. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57365-6_187-1 · Cited by 6
Gratitude and Its Relationship with Students’ Psychological Well-Being and Happiness
Bilong, D. P., Hutasuhut, I. J., Bakar, M. A. A., & Wardhani, N. (2021) · Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH) · doi:10.47405/mjssh.v6i11.1176 · Cited by 7
“Happiness is a state of being happy and can easily be acquired through minimal cognitive and behavioral approaches that everyone can use in their lives (Layous & Lyubomirsky, 2014; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundEvaluation of two short-term stress interventions in the context of mobility
Krahnen, L. S., Bauernfeind, G., Leiber, P., & Jipp, M. (2021) · Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.trf.2021.11.006 · Cited by 8
Impact of Mental Health on Wellness in Adult Workers
Hwang, W. J., & Jo, H. H. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.743344 · Cited by 8
Usability Testing of a Gratitude Application for Promoting Mental Well-Being
Alqahtani, F., Alslaity, A., & Orji, R. (2022) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-05412-9_21 · Cited by 8
Duan, W., Wu, T. S., Bu, H., & He, L. (2022) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-022-00578-3 · Cited by 7
“These can improve individual well-being and reduce negative emotions in a specific and effective way, such as by encouraging strength knowledge and strength use (Gander et al., 2012; Seligman et al., 2005; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundDifferences between genders in the subjective well-being of students participating in PISA 2018
Esidio, E. C., França, M. T. A., & Frio, G. S. (2023) · Child Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s12187-023-10034-0 · Cited by 9
Leveraging social media content to support engagement in positive interventions
Sosik, V. S., & Cosley, D. (2014) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.910826 · Cited by 7
Seligman’s flourishing: An appraisal of what lies beyond happiness
van Zyl, L. E. (2013) · SA Journal of Industrial Psychology · doi:10.4102/sajip.v39i2.1168 · Cited by 7
“The gratitude visit has become one of the focal interventions in PPI research as it has been shown to have a profound effect on the sustainability of the experience of positive emotion (Lyubomirsky, 2011; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Van Zyl & Rothmann, 2012).”
BackgroundMinding the Mechanisms: A Discussion of How Mindfulness Leads to Positive Outcomes at Work
Miksch, D., Lindeman, M. I. H., & Varghese, L. S. (2015) · Industrial and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1017/iop.2015.89 · Cited by 7
“Continuedmindfulness practice also helps to facilitate approach behavior (as opposed to avoidance behavior), which typically leads to healthier outcomes by promoting interest, approval, and acceptance (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; Waikar & Craske, 1997).”
BackgroundEnhancing positivity in cognitive behavioural therapy.
Mothersill, K. J. (2016) · Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/cap0000045 · Cited by 9
Charles, L. S. (2010) · CommonKnowledge Research Repository (Pacific University Oregon) · Cited by 7
Lyssenko, L., Müller, G., Kleindienst, N., Schmahl, C. G., Berger, T., Eifert, G. H., Kölle, A., Nesch, S., Ommer-Hohl, J., Wenner, M., et al. (2016) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000447012 · Cited by 7
Engaging parents in positive education: Results from a pilot program
Dubroja, K., O’Connor, M., & McKenzie, V. L. (2016) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v6i3.443 · Cited by 9
“This residential positive education program included a range of PPIs demonstrated in previous research to be effective in improving adults’ positive mental health outcomes (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialFrom essence to excellence : A strengths-based approach to talent management
Meyers, C. (2015) · Tilburg University Research Portal · Cited by 7
Aguerre, C. (2017) · Revue québécoise de psychologie · doi:10.7202/1040071ar · Cited by 7
Teixeira, A. S., & Freire, T. (2017) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-017-9748-8 · Cited by 10
García-Álvarez, D., Soler, M. J., & Cobo‐Rendón, R. (2018) · Búsqueda · doi:10.21892/01239813.390 · Cited by 9
Psychiatric and behavioral problems and well-being in gerontopsychiatric nursing home residents
van der Wolf, E., van Hooren, S., Waterink, W., & Lechner, L. (2019) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2019.1695738 · Cited by 7
Brais, K. B., & Balaguer, I. (2019) · Revista Costarricense de Psicología · doi:10.22544/rcps.v38i02.03 · Cited by 10
The impact of working with core qualities on primary school pupils’ wellbeing
Ruit, P., Korthagen, F. A. J., & Schoonenboom, J. (2019) · Educational and Child Psychology · doi:10.53841/bpsecp.2019.36.3.7 · Cited by 8
“The explained variance of 2 per cent found in our research is similar to other studies into the effects of interventions on wellbeing in youths below the age of 18 (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
ResultDocentes agradecidos y con bienestar: efecto de una intervención psicoeducativa
García-Álvarez, D. D. J., & Soler, M. J. (2021) · Informes Psicológicos · doi:10.18566/infpsic.v21n1a13 · Cited by 7
Design and evaluation of a positive intervention to cultivate mental health: preliminary findings
Gorbeña, S., Govillard, L., Marroquín, I. G., Sarrionandia, S., Macía, P., Penas, P., & Castillo, I. I. (2021) · Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica · doi:10.1186/s41155-021-00172-1 · Cited by 11
Vulnerable Dispositional Traits and Chronic Pain: Predisposing but not Predetermining
Sambuco, N., Mickle, A. M., GARVAN, C. W., Cardoso, J. S., Johnson, A. J., Kusko, D. A., Addison, A., Glover, T. L., Staud, R. M., Redden, D. T., et al. (2021) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.11.007 · Cited by 7
Positive Psychological Characteristics and Substance Use in First Nation Adolescents
Schick, M. R., Spillane, N. S., Breines, J. G., & Kahler, C. W. (2022) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2022.2069266 · Cited by 7
“Meta-analytic reviews have found promising results for the efficacy of PPIs in increasing subjective and psychological well-being (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), and that these effects last over time (Bolier et al., 2013).”
BackgroundPelatihan Online Psikologi Positif Berbasis Nilai Islam untuk Meningkatkan Resiliensi Mahasiswa
Hapsari, D. K., Karyani, U., & Hertinjung, W. S. (2021) · Indigenous Jurnal Ilmiah Psikologi · doi:10.23917/indigenous.v6i3.14043 · Cited by 7
Facilitating Psychological Well-Being Through Hypnotherapeutic Interventions
Guse, T., & Fourie, G. (2013) · Cross-cultural advancements in positive psychology · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-6368-5_25 · Cited by 7
Lapierre, S., Desjardins, S., Dubé, M., Marcoux, L., Miquelon, P., & Boyer, R. (2017) · Journal of Depression And Therapy · doi:10.14302/issn.2476-1710.jdt-16-1306 · Cited by 6
“The program “On the road to a better life” is a type of positive psychology intervention cultivating positive feelings, behaviors, and cognitions through meaningful goal achievement experiences [60].”
BackgroundLópez‐Gómez, I., Chaves, C., Hervás, G., & Vázquez, C. (2017) · The Spanish Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1017/sjp.2017.44 · Cited by 7
“The Integrative Positive Psychological Intervention for Depression (IPPI-D) is a manualized protocol composed of empirically-validated positive psychology interventions for depression (Bolier et al., 2013; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundResilience, Emotions, and Character Strengths as Predictors of Job Stress in Military Personnel
Taghva, A., Asl, S. T. S., Rahnejat, A. M., & Elikaee, M. M. (2020) · Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.5812/ijpbs.86477 · Cited by 11
“Positive psychology holds that the mere treatment of disease symptoms is not sufficient and that the lives of people should be guided in a positive direction to thrive (24, 25).”
BackgroundAddington, E. L., Cheung, E. O., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2020) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2020.1789702 · Cited by 8
“(3) This RCT compares a PPI to an active control, rather than waitlist or no additional intervention, as is common in many PPI trials (Bolier et al., 2013; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
BackgroundWilson, T. E., Massiah, C., Radigan, R., DeHovitz, J. A., Govindarajulu, U. S., Holman, S., Melendez, M., Yusuff, J., & Taylor, T. (2020) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0000880 · Cited by 7
“…the proposed moderators that were suggested were also supported in the literature, in that positive affect and related interventions focused on promoting psychosocial assets may have a greater influence on well-being among older populations and among those with depression (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).”
ResultThe dot visual acuity test--a new acuity test for children.
KIRSCHEN, D. G., Rosenbaum, A. L., & Ballard, E. (1983) · PubMed · Cited by 7
Applications of Positive Psychology to Individual Therapy
Magyar-Moe, J. L. (2014) · doi:10.1002/9781118315927.ch14 · Cited by 5
Happiness and Subjective Well-Being
Griffin, P. W., & Ward, P. M. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397045-9.00041-0 · Cited by 14
Antaramian, S. P. (2020) · The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/9781119171492.wecad346 · Cited by 7
Laure, T., Engels, R. C. M. E., Remmerswaal, D., Spruijt-Metz, D., Konigorski, S., & Boffo, M. (2023) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/46603 · Cited by 4
“…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].”
BackgroundSchlatter, S., Berland, A., Antoine Lutz, A., Shankland, R., Barret, N., Guillaumée, T., Duclos, A., Cortet, M., Rimmelé, T., Rode, G., et al. (2025) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2024.2431137 · Cited by 7
“Positive psychology intervention (PPI) aims to cultivate positive emotions, behaviors, or cognitions [41].”
Hung, J. W., Hartanto, A., Goh, A. Y. H., Eun, Z. K. Y., Kasturiratna, K. T. A. S., Lee, Z. X., & Majeed, N. M. (2025) · Computers in Human Behavior Artificial Humans · doi:10.1016/j.chbah.2025.100151 · Cited by 11
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Positive Psychology Interventions in Workplace Settings
Martínez-Martínez, K., Cruz-Ortiz, V., Llorens, S., Salanova, M., & Bianchi, M. L. (2025) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci14080481 · Cited by 10
“Prior to this paper, previous meta-analyses (Bolier et al. 2013; Chakhssi et al. 2018; Donaldson et al. 2019; Geerling et al. 2020; Hendriks et al. 2020; Koydemir et al. 2021; Sin and Lyubomirsky 2009) have looked at overall types of PPI rather than individual types of interventions.”
InfluentialSeale, D. M. (2014) · Cited by 6
Homeostasis and transition of well-being: A new integrative perspective
Sun, J., Xin, Z., Bao, H., Liu, M., & Heng, Y. U. E. (2021) · Advances in Psychological Science · doi:10.3724/sp.j.1042.2021.00481 · Cited by 6
“…持在设定点位置, 动态平衡理论(及其变式——主观幸福感稳态理论)进一步强调幸福感在围绕设定点的某个 范围内波动而呈动态平衡状态, 享乐适应理论在动态平衡理论基础上从情绪适应的角度分析了幸福感维持稳 定的原因, 这三个理论均强调幸福感维持在某个平衡水平。相反, 持续幸福理论强调幸福感是可以提升的, 能 发生长期的变化。这些理论观点的差异本质在于如何看待幸福感的稳定性与变化性, 我们借用生物学中的“稳 态”“稳态应激”概念及物理学中的“跃迁”思想, 认为幸福感不仅存在稳态, 也会出现稳态应激, 并可由此引起…”
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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