Emphasizing scientific rigor in the development, testing, and implementation of positive psychological interventions

Development of a Positive Psychology Well-Being Intervention in a Community Pharmacy Setting

Background: Community pharmacies are well-placed to deliver well-being interventions; however, to date, nothing has been produced specifically for this setting. The aim of this study was to develop a positive psychology intervention suitable for a community pharmacy setting with the goal of increasing the well-being of community members. Methods: Intervention development consisted of three steps: Step 1-identify the evidence-base and well-being model to underpin the basis of the intervention (Version 1); Step 2-model the intervention and gather user feedback to produce Version 2, and Step 3-revisit the evidence-base and refine the intervention to produce Version 3. Results: Findings from nine studies (seven RCTs, one cross-sectional, one N-1 design plus user feedback were applied to model a 6-week 'Prescribing Happiness (P-Hap)' intervention, underpinned by the PERMA model plus four other components from the positive psychology literature (Three Good Things, Utilising Your Signature Strengths in New Ways, Best Possible Selves and Character Strengths). A PERMA-based diary was designed to be completed 3 days a week as part of the intervention. Conclusions: This work is an important development which will direct the future implementation of interventions to support well-being in this novel setting. The next stage is to gain the perspectives of external stakeholders on the feasibility of delivering the P-Hap for its adoption into community pharmacy services in the future.

ENHANCE-II: An Abridged Intervention to Promote Subjective Well-Being

The Enduring Happiness and Continued Self-Enhancement (ENHANCE) program, a 12-week intervention, effectively enhances subjective wellbeing and reduces negative symptoms. The current study tested an abbreviated 7-week version, ENHANCE-II, that may better fit the needs and schedules of some people. In a longitudinal study, participants (n = 51) took part in the self-study program and completed psychological assessments at baseline, posttest, and follow up (5 weeks). Multilevel models were used to analyze the data, with treatment group data from ENHANCE treated as the comparison. Analyses showed improvements in all four outcomes: life satisfaction (statistically significant), positive affect, negative affect, and depression. These effects were about half as strong as those in ENHANCE, but this effect reduction was partially attributable to low adherence. Effects were much stronger among participants who adhered to the program, especially for negative symptoms. Although there were no assessments at later intervals, the study suggests that ENHANCE-II intervention is likely beneficial for participants who need brief programs.

A Nudge-Based Intervention to Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use: Randomised Controlled Trial

Problematic smartphone use is rising across the world. We tested an intervention with ten strategies that nudge users to reduce their smartphone use, for example by disabling non-essential notifications and changing their display to greyscale. Participants first completed baseline measures of smartphone use, well-being, and cognition before choosing which intervention strategies to follow for 2 to 6 weeks. Study 1 ( N = 51 ) used a pre-post design while study 2 ( N = 70 ) compared the intervention to a control group who monitored their screen time. Study 1 found reductions in problematic smartphone use, screen time, and depressive symptoms after 2 weeks. Study 2 found that the intervention reduced problematic smartphone use, lowered screen time, and improved sleep quality compared to the control group. Our brief intervention returned problematic smartphone use scores to normal levels for at least 6 weeks. These results demonstrate that various strategies can be combined while maintaining feasibility and efficacy.

The efficacy and mechanism of positive psychological intervention on well-being for colostomy patients: a randomized controlled trial

AIMS

The positive psychology intervention (PPI) is an effective therapy designed to motivate individuals' positive quality and power, to help them survive in an adverse situation, and to establish a high-quality personal and social life. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of PPI on the psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among colostomy patients.

METHODS

Patients (n = 120) with permanent stomas were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the experimental group (n = 60) received standard care and PPI, whereas patients in the control group (n = 60) only received standard care. The psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction were measured and compared between two groups before the intervention, the immediate post-intervention, and follow-up.

RESULTS

All 120 patients completed the study. The hope, optimism, resilience, psychological distress, and life satisfaction score of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at T1 and T2 (P < 0.05). Self-efficacy score of the experimental group had no significant difference at the two time points after the intervention than the control group (P > 0.05). Changes in hope and resilience which belong to psychological capital mediated the intervention's efficacy on changes in PPI on life satisfaction (β = 0.265, P = 0.005; β = 0.686, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

PPI could effectively improve psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among patients with stomas. Besides, our findings add novel support that increased hope and resilience are the active ingredients that promote intervention change.

Acting on Values: A Novel Intervention Enhancing Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being

Individuals increase well-being by acting on their values rather than merely endorsing them. We developed a novel intervention ("Acting on Values," AoV), motivating individuals to initiate values-related behavior over four weeks. Building upon the theory of Basic Human Values, we expected that intervention recipients would increase their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being relative to a control group. We also expected the AoV interventions to cause similar effects as a mindfulness group. 783 volunteers (N = 268 completers) were assigned into three groups: AoV intervention, mindfulness, and a waiting list. Individuals who completed the AoV intervention achieved higher satisfaction with life, positive affect, and eudaimonic well-being, and lower negative affect than the control group. The well-being effects of the AoV intervention did not differ significantly from the mindfulness intervention effects. Our findings suggest that the AoV intervention is an efficacious method of increasing hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. It contributes to the diversity of well-being facilitation methods.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00585-4.

Using the Intervention Mapping Approach to Develop a Mental Health Intervention: A Case Study on Improving the Reporting Standards for Developing Psychological Interventions

Replicating or distilling information from psychological interventions reported in the scientific literature is hindered by inadequate reporting, despite the existence of various methodologies to guide study reporting and intervention development. This article provides an in-depth explanation of the scientific development process for a mental health intervention, and by doing so illustrates how intervention development methodologies can be used to improve development reporting standards of interventions. Intervention development was guided by the Intervention Mapping approach and the Theoretical Domains Framework. It relied on an extensive literature review, input from a multi-disciplinary group of stakeholders and the learnings from projects on similar psychological interventions. The developed programme, called the “Be Well Plan”, focuses on self-exploration to determine key motivators, resources and challenges to improve mental health outcomes. The programme contains an online assessment to build awareness about one’s mental health status. In combination with the exploration of different evidence-based mental health activities from various therapeutic backgrounds, the programme teaches individuals to create a personalised mental health and wellbeing plan. The use of best-practice intervention development frameworks and evidence-based behavioural change techniques aims to ensure optimal intervention impact, while reporting on the development process provides researchers and other stakeholders with an ability to scientifically interrogate and replicate similar psychological interventions.

Effect of Psychological Intervention Combined with Family Cooperation on the Perioperative Quality of Life and Psychological States of Elderly Patients with Prostate Cancer Treated with Compound Kushen Injection

Objective

The purpose of the study was to investigate the nursing effect of psychological intervention combined with family cooperation on elderly patients with prostate cancer treated with compound kushen injection and put forward effective suggestions.

Methods

122 elderly patients with prostate cancer admitted to our hospital from June 2018 to June 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a control group (n = 61) and experimental group (n = 61). The patients in the control group received routine nursing intervention during the perioperative period, while the patients in the experimental group were treated with psychological intervention combined with family cooperation on the basis of routine nursing. The quality of life and psychological states of patients in the two groups were statistically analyzed.

Results

The evaluation of psychological states at 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours before discharge in the experimental group was significantly better than that in the control group (P < 0.05), with statistical significance. On comparing the basic conditions between the two groups in the perioperative period, the length of hospitalization, length of catheter retention after surgery, and incidence of complications in the experimental group were all significantly better than those in the control group (P < 0.05), with statistical significance. The satisfaction of patients with the nursing process in both groups was recorded and statistically analyzed through questionnaires. The satisfaction with nursing process in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), with statistical significance. The quality of life of the patients was followed up at three months after discharge. The quality of life of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group (P < 0.05), with statistical significance.

Conclusion

Psychological intervention combined with family cooperation for the elderly patients with prostate cancer treated with compound kushen injection is beneficial to improve their psychological states, encourage them to face the disease in a more positive manner, effectively improve the quality of life after intervention, ensure the therapeutic effect during perioperative period, increase happiness index, and enhance their satisfaction with the nursing process, which is worthy of clinical application and popularization.