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Delivering Happiness: Translating Positive Psychology Intervention Research for Treating Major and Minor Depressive Disorders
Open accessAbstract
Despite the availability of many treatment options, depressive disorders remain a global public health problem. Even in affluent nations, 70% of reported cases either do not receive the recommended level of treatment or do not get treated at all, and this percentage does not reflect cases of depression that go unreported due to lack of access to health care, stigma, or other reasons. In developing countries, the World Health Organization estimates that <10% receive proper depression care due to poverty, stigma, and lack of governmental mental health resources and providers. Current treatments do not work for everyone, and even people who achieve remission face a high risk of recurrence and residual disability. The development of low-cost effective interventions that can serve either as initial therapy for mild symptoms or as adjunctive therapy for partial responders to medication is an immense unmet need. Positive activity interventions (PAIs) teach individuals ways to increase their positive thinking, positive affect, and positive behaviors. The majority of such interventions, which have obtained medium-size effect sizes, have been conducted with nondepressed individuals, but two randomized controlled studies in patients with mild clinical depression have reported promising initial findings. In this article, the authors review the relevant literature on the effectiveness of various types of PAIs, draw on social psychology, affective neuroscience and psychophamacology research to propose neural models for how PAIs might relieve depression, and discuss the steps needed to translate the potential promise of PAIs as clinical treatments for individuals with major and minor depressive disorders.
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“Others have suggested that positive psychological interventions may be more useful for people who are not benefiting from or not accessing traditional treatments [13].”
From What might affect acceptability of online positive psychology interventions for depression: A qualitative study on patient expectations' (2018) · cites this paper as [13]
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“Previously it has been assumed that people with depression may be relatively more likely to benefit as they may be motivated to find the positives [13].”
From What might affect acceptability of online positive psychology interventions for depression: A qualitative study on patient expectations' (2018) · cites this paper as [13]
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“These interventions aid the client in developing positive thoughts, behaviours and emotions, and help the client progress beyond the point of ‘not feeling well’ to a point of flourishing (Layous et al., 2011; Seligman, 2011).”
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BackgroundResultUsing Social Network Sites to Boost Savoring: Positive Effects on Positive Emotions
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“…emotions, functioning and satisfying relationships have been said to play a potential protective role against the effects of negative mental health such as depression in both autistic and non-autistic samples (Hedley et al., 2018; Layous et al., 2011; Teismann et al., 2018; Wilhelm et al., 2010).”
BackgroundWORK AND FAMILY INTERFACE: WELLBEING AND THE ROLE OF RESILIENCE AND WORK-LIFE BALANCE
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“Hallenges integrates empirically validated methodologies (Layous et al., 2011), such as journaling and gratitude letters, identifying personal strengths, three good things (Kalamatianos et al., 2023; Siriaraya et al., 2024), and practicing mindfulness (Kounenou et al., 2022).”
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“…have become increasingly of interest in facilitating growth through adversity (Joseph & Linley, 2005), and alleviating depressive symptoms (Layous et al., 2011; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009), there has been rather little work on integrating positive psychology concepts and methods with those…”
BackgroundResultDoes Using Social Network Sites Reduce Depression and Promote Happiness?
Yu, S. (2020) · International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction · doi:10.4018/ijthi.2020070104 · Cited by 8
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“Depressed individuals, characterized by anhedonia, may exhibit activation of the ventral striatum during charitable giving, resulting in an uplift of positive emotions and a reduction of depressive symptoms (Layous et al., 2011).”
Resilience, Emotions, and Character Strengths as Predictors of Job Stress in Military Personnel
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POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS ENEMIES: A REPLY BASED ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
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Deng, Y., Zhang, J., Chen, H., Tian, S., Zhang, Y., & Hu, X. (2024) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-024-00713-2 · Cited by 6
“…have highlighted the superior effects of group-administered over self-administered practices (Carr et al., 2020; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009; van Agteren et al., 2021), especially for severely distressed individuals who may lack initiative and organization (Celano et al., 2017; Layous et al., 2011).”
Feig, E. H., Healy, B. C., Celano, C. M., Nikrahan, G. R., Moskowitz, J. T., & Huffman, J. C. (2019) · International Journal of Wellbeing · doi:10.5502/ijw.v9i2.795 · Cited by 5
Using Therapeutic Photography Techniques to Increase the Wellbeing of College Students
Tourigny, L., & Naydenova, I. N. (2020) · Digital Commons - Gardner-Webb University (Gardner–Webb University) · Cited by 5
Écija, C., Catalá, P., Furlong, L. V., Pastor-Mira, M. D. L. Á., & Peñacoba, C. (2022) · Pain Management Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2022.05.007 · Cited by 6
Hite, B. C. (2015) · ScholarWorks (Walden University) · Cited by 5
Anual, N., Zamri, M. N., & Zakaria, I. (2023) · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i6/16765 · Cited by 7
Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI) Program for Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDS): A Pilot Study
Masanda, A. B. (2024) · Journal of Primary Care & Community Health · doi:10.1177/21501319241271909 · Cited by 4
Hendriks, T., Hassankhan, A., de Jong, J. T. V. M., & van Woerkom, M. (2024) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200366 · Cited by 6
Depression in the community setting: Development and initial validation of the Daily Goals Scale
Asgari, Y., & Ricciardelli, L. A. (2013) · Clinical Psychologist · doi:10.1111/cp.12011 · Cited by 4
The effect of positive psychotherapy in test anxiety among Zahedan students with hemophilia
Heydari, M. G., Shirazi, M., & Sanagouyemoharer, G. R. (2018) · Research in Psychotherapy Psychopathology Process and Outcome · doi:10.4081/ripppo.2018.307 · Cited by 4
Eryılmaz, A., & Altınsoy, F. (2021) · Education and Science · doi:10.15390/eb.2021.8226 · Cited by 2
Round, J., & Burke, J. (2018) · International Coaching Psychology Review · doi:10.53841/bpsicpr.2018.13.2.27 · Cited by 5
Group Positive Psychotherapy and Depression of Females Affected by Multiple Sclerosis
Khayatan, T., Azkhosh, M., Bahmani, B., Azimian, M., & Dolatshahi, B. (2014) · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Cited by 4
The spiritual heart: Can gratitude change cardiac biology?
Doraiswamy, P. M., & Oz, M. C. (2015) · Spirituality in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1037/scp0000061 · Cited by 4
“Such behaviors are termed as positive activity interventions and include exercises such as doing acts of kindness, counting one’s blessings, thinking about good things, writing letters of gratitude, and meditating on positive feelings toward others (Layous et al., 2011).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationThe development and evaluation of positive psychological interventions aimed at happiness
van Zyl, L. E., & Ellardus, L. (2012) · Boloka Institutional Repository (North-west University) · Cited by 4
Therapeutic effects of positive emotions on neural pathways and neurotransmitter systems
El‐Mansoury, B., Laadraoui, J., Razouqi, Y., Haj-Khlifa, A., Fatimi, H. E., Hiba, O. E., & Jayakumar, A. R. (2025) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2025.02.006 · Cited by 3
Jafari, M., Basharpour, S., Bazazorde, M., & Hajlo, N. (2022) · Psychological Studies · doi:10.1007/s12646-022-00673-8 · Cited by 3
“Anxiety is one of these negative emotions that can be diminished by the created positive mentality and beliefs following positive psychology interventions (Layous et al., 2011).”
BackgroundThe happy elderly as a being-toward-death: a phenomenological research
Echeverria, L. I. G., Ramírez, R., Pinto, R. P., Barra, P. S., & Rapiman, M.-E. (2016) · Medwave · doi:10.5867/medwave.2016.09.6574 · Cited by 3
Kaubisch, S., Kloek, M., Primbs, R., Iglhaut, L., Piechaczek, C., Keim, P., Feldmann, L., Schulte‐Körne, G., & Greimel, E. (2025) · Internet Interventions · doi:10.1016/j.invent.2025.100872 · Cited by 3
“Although there is evidence that online and self-help methods mitigate the impact of PPIs (Koydemir et al., 2021), this method of delivery is more feasible on a large scale (Layous et al., 2011).”
Pandey, J. M., & Garg, S. (2018) · Advances in medical diagnosis, treatment, and care (AMDTC) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-3480-8.ch001 · Cited by 3
MAKNA BAHAGIA PADA LAJANG DEWASA MADYA
Hidayatullah, M. S., & LARASSATY, R. M. (2017) · Jurnal Ecopsy · doi:10.20527/ecopsy.v4i2.3847 · Cited by 3
Metadata
- Authors
- Layous, K., Chancellor, J., Lyubomirsky, S., Wang, L., & Doraiswamy, P. M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lyubomirsky, Sonja
- Venue
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-08
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 675-683
- ISSN
- 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7708
- OpenAlex
- W2009160974
- Cited by
- 148
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- escholarship.org
- Locations
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (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 › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- positive psychology interventions, major depressive disorder, depression treatment, low-cost interventions, adjunctive therapy, treatment-resistant depression, affective neuroscience, psychopharmacology, clinical translation, access to mental health care, depression stigma
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Behavior, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Happiness, Health Education, Humans, Thinking, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Biomedical Research
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