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Positive psychotherapy (PPT) is a therapeutic approach broadly based on the principles of positive psychology. Rooted in Chris Peterson’s groundbreaking work on character strengths, PPT integrates symptoms with strengths, resources with risks, weaknesses with values, and hopes with regrets in order to understand the inherent complexities of human e...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... exercises and their relationship with various character strengths, postu- lated by Chris Peterson and Seligman (2004), are pre- sented in Table 1. Definitions of these character strengths are given in Table 2. PPT was initially validated with cli- ents experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression in individual and group settings (Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, 2006). ...
Context 2
... encourage clients to share memories, experi- ences, real-life stories, anecdotes, accomplishments, and skills, which illustrate their signature strengths. At the same time, therapists invite clients to conceptualize their presenting issues as lack or excess of strengths (Table 2). In doing so, clients are encouraged to develop a key strength, psychological flexibility which is an ability to adapt to fluctuating situational demands, reconfiguring mental resources including strengths, shifting perspective, and balancing competing desires, needs, and life domains (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010). ...
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Citations
... Finally, psychological considerations of B/H extend to phenomena like character, as influentially elucidated by Aristotle (2000), whose "golden mean" held that virtue involves treading a fine line between opposing vices of excess and deficiency (e.g., courage involves avoiding both cowardice and recklessness). In contemporary psychology, Rashid (2015) and Niemiec (2017), have applied notions of B/H in pioneering an approach to mental illness and health based on under-and over-use of character strengths. ...
Academic interest in well-being has blossomed in recent years, to the point that numerous forms of well-being have now been proposed, covering myriad aspects of the person (e.g., mental, physical, social, spiritual) and of life more broadly (e.g., communal, economic, environmental). This proliferation of forms raises the question of how they might ideally interrelate, as well as whether there is some kind of overall well-being that draws them together. To that end, this paper argues that a zenith of ultimate or complete well-being would involve managing to sustain well-being across numerous systems (i.e., configurations of different processes and entities), such that they are in a state of balance and harmony. These systems include: (a) the various dimensions of the person (e.g., physical, mental, social, spiritual); (b) self-and-other (i.e., where both the person and those around are doing well); (c) people-and-environment (i.e., where human well-being is aligned with the well-being of nature); and (d) time (i.e., well-being obtains both in the present and into the future). We suggest that attaining all of these various forms of sustainable well-being constitutes an ideal of flourishing to which people and societies can and should aspire.
... Therapists constantly try to observe the strengths of the children via storymaking activities, and utilize specific techniques to reveal these strengths to both children themselves and their parents while steering the process. According to positive psychotherapy theory [91], such a strength-based approach can enable therapists to identify and capitalize on children's strengths, granting resources for children to face the challenges in life. Therapists also try to gain insights into family interaction dynamics and their challenges in communication and relationship through the process and outcome artifacts of the family's joint storymaking [48]. ...
... [14] found that individual PPT with severely depressed patients resulted in symptom improvement and longer remissions compared to usual care including medication therapy. Several studies have demonstrated moderate to strong effects in moderate to severe disorder severity, as well as remission rates of up to one year compared to waiting list control groups or patients treated with antidepressants and psychiatric monitoring [12,[16][17][18]. For depression disorder PPT is also highly effective when compared to CBT, as shown in the randomized-controlled comparative study by [19]. ...
... So far, research focused on the efficacy of (online-based) CBT as a treatment for anxiety and is referred to as the gold standard for treating a wide range of disorders. Current studies show that Positive Psychology Interventions prove to be effective for depression and psychological well-being [16,67] as well as anxiety [68,69]. However, until now no study concentrated on comparing the efficacy of both treatments (CBT & PPT) in people struggling with anxiety disorders in an online-based group setting. ...
Background
Anxiety disorders are common and debilitating which is why treatment is so important. According to the guidelines, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has the highest level of effectiveness among psychotherapeutic treatments and is the recommended procedure. However, not everyone responds well or at all to CBT which makes a wider range of therapy options valuable. Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) comes to mind as an alternative with its strength-based approach focusing on enhancing well-being and life satisfaction. Additionally, it has not yet been extensively studied how the processes that occur during treatment sessions and between treatment sessions effect treatment outcome. Thus, to lessen the lack of evidence regarding the efficacy of PPT as an anxiety treatment the planned study examines and compares the effectiveness of CBT and PPT as well as the effect of intrasession and intersession processes of the two therapy approaches.
Method
The study is in the planning stage and consists of an efficacy and a process study. The efficacy study is a randomized controlled comparative study of patients with anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia) with two active treatment conditions (PPT and CBT) and a control group (CG; positive psychotherapy with minimal therapeutic supervision) in an online group setting. There are three measurement time points: before treatment begins (T0), at the end of the ten-week treatment (T1), and a follow-up after three months (T2). The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of PPT and CBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and to compare the efficacy of online-based PPT with minimal therapeutic supervision and online-based PPT with intensive therapeutic supervision in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The process study will be used to evaluate both the intrasession processes and the intersession processes of the therapy in the two intervention groups. In addition, the process variables that predict the success of the therapy and the extent to which PPT and CBT differ in the therapy processes will be tested. The study is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (№ DRKS00027521).
Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled comparative study to examine the effectiveness of CBT and PPT for anxiety disorders in an online group setting.
... For this, we suggest considering self-affirmation as a form of resource activation. Resource activation is used, among other things, in positive psychotherapy and strength-based approaches, involving the activation of positive emotions, character strengths, positive relationships and intrinsically motivated accomplishments (Rashid, 2015). Grawe (1997) describes resource activation as an unspecific cross-therapeutic mechanism of action in psychotherapy and its positive effects have been demonstrated in numerous studies (e.g., Goldbach et al., 2023). ...
Introduction
People use coping strategies such as self-affirmation to manage threats to their self-esteem. In empirical research, self-affirmation often involves recalling personal values, strengths, or relationships to restore moral integrity. Research shows it improves attitude adjustment, resolves cognitive dissonance, and enhances well-being. Some studies stress the importance of distinguishing between different aspects of self-affirmation, like strengths or social relations. These aspects align with concepts in psychotherapy that differentiate between internal and external resource activation, benefiting health, self-esteem, and resilience. The aim of the current study was twofold: first, to independently test the three-factor structure of the Spontaneous Self-affirmation Measure (SSAM), and second, to integrate self-affirmation strategies into a broader resource activation framework as resilience factors. It also examined associations with self-esteem and effects of age, gender, and education on spontaneous self-affirmation.
Methods
1,100 participants (72% female, age 18–65) were recruited online. The original three-factor structure of the SSAM (with the factors Strengths, Values and Social relations) was examined using structural equation modeling. Further, a theory driven two-factor structure applying an internal and external resources framework was examined, integrating the factors of the SSAM into the taxonomy of resource activation (Internal resources: Strengths and Values; External resources: Social relations).
Results
The results of confirmatory factor analyses showed that both the original three-factor structure and the complementary two-factor structure with an Internal resources and External resources factor fit the data appropriately. All three factors of the original factor model showed a high reliability (Strengths: ωt = 0.91, Values: ωt = 0.91, Social relations: ωt = 0.92). We also found measurement invariance across age, gender, and education. Furthermore, group differences regarding gender, education and ethnicity in the utilization of spontaneous self-affirmation strategies were apparent. Finally, it was demonstrated that the Internal resources factor of the complementary two-factor model is significantly more strongly correlated with self-esteem than the External Resources factor [z = 12.80, p < 0.001, 95%CIdiff (0.24, 0.33)].
Discussion
The study confirms the validity of both the three-factor and two-factor structures of the SSAM. Integrating self-affirmation into the resource activation framework may facilitate applying findings from self-affirmation studies to clinical contexts.
... The central premise of PPT is to assess and enhance positive resources of clients, such as positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. It has been shown to improve depression, anxiety, psychosis, and nicotine dependence (Rashid, 2015). Both groups ran at the same time and day on campus to avoid day or time effects. ...
Emotion dysregulation is a transdiagnostic phenomenon. In evidence-based treatments for disorders involving emotion dysregulation, there are still many who do not achieve clinically significant gains. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the effect of personality on treatment outcomes in individuals experiencing symptoms of emotion dysregulation. Participants were involved in a randomized control trial, where they participated in one of two group therapy programs, dialectical behavioural therapy or positive psychotherapy (PPT). Hierarchical regressions were performed to examine the main effects and interactive effects predicting change in emotion dysregulation, depression, and anxiety across the course of treatment. Split group analyses were conducted to examine the main effects of personality on treatment outcomes, differentiated by treatment group. None of the individual personality traits reached a level of significance to predict treatment outcomes after controlling for baseline symptom severity. However, large effect sizes were observed suggesting personality may have moderated specific treatment effects within the individual types of treatment. For participants undergoing dialectical behaviour therapy, higher conscientiousness and higher neuroticism predicted improved depressive symptoms. Conversely, for participants undergoing PPT, lower neuroticism and lower conscientiousness predicted improved emotion dysregulation. Extraversion predicted better outcomes across both groups. Results suggest that certain treatment types could be more beneficial for people with certain personality profiles.
... Mental health professionals are encouraged to work alongside women with lived experience of psychosocial disability to utilize their strengths, resourcefulness, and the self-advocacy efforts that have kept them going. Interventions could specifically utilize a positive psychotherapy approach that amplifies character strengths, values, meaning, and intrinsically motivated achievements (Rashid, 2015). ...
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of women with psychosocial disability in Uganda. The findings from 11 in-depth interviews conducted highlighted three themes featuring risk factors, protective factors, and proposed interventions to respond to the needs of women with psychosocial disability from the perspective of the women with lived experience. There are two major implications of this study. The first implication is that people in the helping profession can integrate the voices of the people who are directly affected by psychosocial disability to design interventions that are tailored to suit their needs. The second implication regards advocacy. Mental health professionals can use the stories shared by the participants to reinforce advocacy initiatives to mitigate the negative impact of psychosocial disability. Additionally, the findings can support people in the mental health profession, educators, and mental health policy designers in making informed decisions regarding interventions for people with psychosocial disability in limited resource settings like Uganda.
... Empirically, positive psychotherapy is a credible approach in the field of psychotherapy that particularly focuses on building the client's capabilities and positive emotions and enhances the client's sense of meaning in life to reduce psychological pathology and strengthen happiness (Rashid, 2015). Positive psychologists address positive emotions and memories in their discussions with clients and pay attention to them. ...
Objective: The purpose of this research was to conduct a meta-analysis of positive psychotherapy interventions for parents of children with special needs in Iran. Method: This study determined the effect size of positive psychotherapy interventions for these parents by synthesizing the results of various studies. The data sources included the National Publication Database, the Academic Jihad Science Information Center, and the Noor Specialized Journals Database. Out of 18 studies, 12 met the inclusion criteria and were selected, utilizing a meta-analysis checklist as the research tool. The study was based on 348 samples and 12 effect sizes. Findings: The meta-analysis revealed that the effect size of positive psychotherapy interventions for parents of children with special needs is d = 1.19 (p = 0.05), which is considered high according to Cohen's scale. The highest effect size was reported by Rezaei Kalantari et al. (2019), with a d = 2.31, titled "Effect of positive psychotherapy on perceived stress and life purposes in mothers of children with autism," and the smallest effect sizes were found in the study by Nili et al. (2019), with d = 0.2 and d = 0.23, titled "Effectiveness of positive training on irrational beliefs and happiness in mothers of deaf children." Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that positive psychotherapy interventions are effective for parents of children with special needs, and researchers can utilize this program to enhance mental health components.
... The results of the current study may advance the understanding of how dispositional gratitude and caring for bliss are related to wellbeing and thus may help to further solidify theoretical considerations about the impact of positive affect on presence of meaning in life and ultimately well-being (King et al., 2006). The results of the present study may also help lay the groundwork for future research to creatively contribute to Positive Psychotherapy (PPT; Parks et al., 2015;Rashid, 2015;Seligman et al., 2006) by examining the effects of caring for bliss practices such as listening deeply to the voice of one's heart (Rudaz et al., 2020) in addition to gratitude practices such as writing a gratitude journal (Seligman et al., 2005;Watkins et al., 2015). ...
... La concepción inicial suponía que las personas exhibían estas fortalezas cuando se encontraban en un estado libre de estrés o trastornos, sin embargo, posteriormente, se demostró que también las despliegan durante crisis o situaciones adversas (Peterson, 2006b). Además, se ha cuestionado si la ausencia de una fortaleza o su uso equivocado pueden generar dificultades para reaccionar ante un estresor o adaptarse a eventos cotidianos, y, en consecuencia, situar a una persona en un estado vulnerable que propicie el surgimiento de síntomas de ansiedad o depresión (Rashid, 2015). Lo anterior ha impulsado el desarrollo de intervenciones diseñadas con el fin de promover la identificación y uso propositivo de fortalezas de carácter en la cotidianeidad, de tal manera que generen beneficios para los participantes, otras personas y la sociedad (Ruch et al., 2020). ...
... Existe fuerte evidencia de la eficacia de programas de intervención centrados en la promoción de fortalezas distintivas para incrementar el bienestar subjetivo (Gander et al., 2013;Proyer et al., 2012;2015). Y, además, como ventaja adicional, se ha reportado el mantenimiento de los efectos hasta seis meses posteriores de concluido los programas (Gander et al.,2013;Proyer et al., 2015). ...
La evidencia actual respecto a la efectividad de las intervenciones basadas en las fortalezas de carácter apunta a señalar el gran potencial que poseen para fomentar el bienestar y reducir la sintomatología depresiva. Sin embargo, aún existen cuestionamientos que es necesario abordar para desarrollar la investigación en curso acerca de este tema. En esta revisión narrativa se evalúan algunos aspectos que pueden orientar esta indagación científica, tales como el papel que tienen las intervenciones personalizadas y sus diferencias con las intervenciones genéricas, las fortalezas correlacionadas con el bienestar, las fortalezas distintivas y los contextos en los que se puede justificar dicho estudio. Se concluye que, pese a las contribuciones al fomento del bienestar a partir de la implementación de este tipo de intervenciones, las evidencias sobre su efectividad aún tienen algunas aristas por explorar que permitirán una mejoría en los efectos obtenidos, tales como los mecanismos y aportaciones que cada una de las fortalezas otorga a otros aspectos del bienestar y al funcionamiento psicológico en diferentes áreas de la vida.
... While this research focused on suicidal behavior and its correlates, it also is imperative to attend to the influence of racial identity on factors that protect against suicidal behavior. This shift from a focus on psychopathology to well-being aligns with positive psychology, which balances strengths and resources with symptoms and risks (Rashid, 2015;Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Positive psychology emphasizes what makes life worth living and cultivates people's ability to flourish (Seligman, 2019;Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). ...
African American women have been protected against death by suicide, and it is important to determine factors that protect against suicide in this population. Racial identity, which shapes African Americans’ self-concept, may cultivate facets of well-being among African American women. We investigated the relations among racial identity profiles and well-being, namely reasons for living, existential well-being, and suicide resilience, among 198 African American women with a recent suicide attempt. Using latent profile analysis, we found that racial identity profiles characterized by higher racial group identification and more positive feelings about being African American were associated with greater reasons for living, existential well-being, and suicide resilience. Ideas for culturally responsive interventions are proposed.
