Toward a Better Understanding of What Makes Positive Psychology Interventions Work: Predicting Happiness and Depression From the Person × Intervention Fit in a Follow‐Up after 3.5 Years
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Background: Robust evidence exists that positive psychology interventions are effective in enhancing well‐being and ameliorating depression. Comparatively little is known about the conditions under which they work best. Models describing characteristics that impact the effectiveness of positive interventions typically contain features of the person, of the activity, and the fit between the two. This study focuses on indicators of the person × intervention fit in predicting happiness and depressive symptoms 3.5 years after completion of the intervention. Methods: A sample of 165 women completed measures for happiness and depressive symptoms before and about 3.5 years after completion of a positive intervention (random assignment to one out of nine interventions, which were aggregated for the analyses). Four fit indicators were assessed: Preference; continued practice; effort; and early reactivity. Results: Three out of four person × intervention fit indicators were positively related to happiness or negatively related to depression when controlled for the pretest scores. Together, they explained 6 per cent of the variance in happiness, and 10 per cent of the variance of depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Most tested indicators of a person × intervention fit are robust predictors of happiness and depressive symptoms—even after 3.5 years. They might serve for an early estimation of the effectiveness of a positive intervention.
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Explicitly focusing on positive emotions efficiently improves depressive symptoms and helps to achieve more profound change in positive functioning measures.
“Recent findings suggest that explicitly focusing on positive emotions efficiently improves depressive symptoms and helps to achieve more profound change in positive functioning measures [98–100].”
From Protocol for a randomized controlled dismantling study of an internet-based intervention for depressive symptoms: Exploring the contribution of behavioral activation and positive psychotherapy strategies (2019) · cites this paper as [100]
The Introduction Background (page unavailable) reports that positive psychology interventions can increase well-being and decrease depression. But the Discussion (page unavailable) says the study cannot determine whether positive emotions caused those effects. The paper therefore does not establish that explicitly focusing on positive emotions is the effective ingredient or that it produces more profound changes in positive functioning. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredParticipants who voluntarily continued with their activities beyond the instructed time period benefitted most from interventions.
“Additionally, it has been shown that those participants that voluntarily continued with their activities beyond the instructed time period benefitted most from interventions (Gander et al., 2013;Proyer et al., 2015;Seligman et al., 2005).”
From Can Playfulness be Stimulated? A Randomised Placebo‐Controlled Online Playfulness Intervention Study on Effects on Trait Playfulness, Well‐Being, and Depression (2021) · cites this paper as Proyer et al., 2015
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References 33 · Cited by 101
- Authors
- Proyer, R. T., Wellenzohn, S., Gander, F., & Ruch, W.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Proyer, René T.
- Venue
- Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-11-26
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 108-128
- ISSN
- 1758-0846 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-0854
- OpenAlex
- W1556467714
- Cited by
- 101
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 13.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Funders
- Schweizerische Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (100014_132512, 100014_149772)
- 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, happiness, depressive symptoms, intervention effectiveness, effort, preferences, women, long-term follow-up
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Depression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Happiness, Humans, Middle Aged, Personal Satisfaction, Young Adult
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