Negative Reflections About Positive Psychology: On Constraining the Field to a Focus on Happiness and Personal Achievement

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Yakushko ◽  
Eva Blodgett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Humanistic Psychology ◽  
Critical Dialogue ◽  
Immigrant Professionals ◽  
Medicine Education ◽  
Education Business ◽  
Critical Reflections

“Positive” psychology has gained a dominant voice within and outside the field of psychology. Although critiques of this perspective have been rendered, including by humanistic psychologists, psychology scholars have offered minimum space for critical reflections of this movement in contrast to its critiques existing inside and outside the academia in other fields. Therefore, this contribution seeks to explicate emerging systematic critiques of positive psychology by scholars and practitioners from within mental health fields as well as from philosophy, medicine, education, business, and cultural studies and to highlight sociocultural discussions of positive movement by the culture critics. Last, we offer reflections on positive psychology as immigrant professionals from non-Western backgrounds with an emphasis on existential and humanities-based perspectives. We also highlight that the tenets and experiments based on “positive” psychological practices may have especially detrimental effect on marginalized individuals and communities. This contribution seeks to invite a critical dialogue in the field regarding positive psychology within and outside humanistic psychology and psychology in general.

A positive psychology study and intervention on the well-being of French PhD students in biology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Marais ◽  
Rebecca Shankland ◽  
Pascale Haag ◽  
Robin Fiault ◽  
Bridget Juniper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Reference Sample ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Human Costs ◽  
The Uk ◽  
And Control ◽  
Health And Well Being

In France, little data are available on mental health and well-being in academia, and nothing has been published about PhD students. From studies abroad, we know that doing a PhD is a difficult experience resulting in high attrition rates with significant financial and human costs. Here we focused on PhD students in biology at university Lyon 1. A first study aimed at measuring the mental health and well-being of PhD students using several generalist and PhD-specific tools. Our results on 136 participants showed that a large fraction of the PhD students experience abnormal levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and their mean well-being score is significantly lower than that of a British reference sample. French PhD student well-being is specifically affected by career uncertainty, perceived lack of progress in the PhD and perceived lack of competence, which points towards possible cultural differences of experiencing a PhD in France and the UK. In a second study, we carried out a positive psychology intervention. Comparing the scores of the test and control groups showed a clear effect of the intervention on reducing anxiety. We discuss our results and the possible future steps to improve French PhD students’ well-being.

Positive Psychology Applications

2009 ◽  
pp. 34-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Alex Linley ◽  
Stephen Joseph ◽  
John Maltby ◽  
Susan Harrington ◽  
Alex M. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Humanistic Psychology ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Organizational Scholarship ◽  
Client Centered Therapy ◽  
Good Lives

Applied positive psychology is concerned with facilitating good lives and enabling people to be at their best. It is as much an approach as a particular domain of inquiry. As shown throughout this chapter, positive psychology has applications that span almost every area of applied psychology and beyond. In clinical psychology, counseling and psychotherapy, applied positive psychology builds on the traditions of humanistic psychology and Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy. It challenges the dominant assumptions of the medical model and promotes a dimensional, rather than dichotomous, understanding of mental health and mental illness. Beyond the alleviation of psychopathology, applied positive psychology has also seen the development of specific happiness-increase interventions, including counting one's blessings, using signature strengths, and paying a gratitude visit. In education, applied positive psychology has been used to promote flow in the classroom, as well as harnessing children's strengths to aid their learning and development. Forensic applications of positive psychology are represented by the good lives model of offender management, which focuses on the adaptive satisfaction of human needs. In Industrial Organizational (I/O) psychology, positive psychology applications are represented throughout work on transformational leadership, employee engagement, positive organizational scholarship, positive organizational behavior, appreciative inquiry, and strengths-based organization. In society, more broadly, applied positive psychology is shown to influence the development of life coaching and the practice of executive coaching, while population approaches are being explored in relation to epidemiology and the promotion of social well-being. Having reviewed these diverse areas, the chapter then goes on to consider the theoretical basis for applied positive psychology; the questions of who should apply positive psychology, as well as where and how; and whether positive psychology applications could be universally relevant. The chapter concludes by considering what the future of applied positive psychology may hold and suggesting that the discipline has the potential to impact positively on people throughout the world.

scholarly journals Positive psychology in a pandemic: buffering, bolstering, and building mental health

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lea Waters ◽  
Sara B. Algoe ◽  
Jane Dutton ◽  
Robert Emmons ◽  
Barbara L. Fredrickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology

scholarly journals Positive Psychology for Mental Wellbeing of UK Therapeutic Students: Relationships with Engagement, Motivation, Resilience and Self-Compassion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Kotera ◽  
Pauline Green ◽  
David Sheffield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Occupational Therapy Students ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThis study aimed to examine the relationships between mental wellbeing and positive psychological constructs in therapeutic students (psychotherapy and occupational therapy students). The number of therapeutic students has increased recently; however, they suffer from poor mental health, which may be improved by potentiating their positive psychological constructs, bypassing mental health shame. Therapeutic students (n = 145) completed measures regarding positive psychological constructs, namely mental wellbeing, engagement, motivation, resilience, and self-compassion. Resilience and self-compassion predicted mental wellbeing, explaining a large effect. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between resilience and mental wellbeing. This study highlights the importance of positive psychological constructs, especially resilience and self-compassion, for mental wellbeing of therapeutic students.

The creative artist support group: a case study

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliot Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Therapeutic Benefit ◽  
Humanistic Psychology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Artistic Theory ◽  
Creative Artists

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the therapeutic benefits of a community-based creative artists support group. The author is also the participant/facilitator of the group, which has been ongoing for the past eight months. The relevant experiences of three participants in the group have been chosen, to briefly illustrate the diverse kinds of social and therapeutic value that people with creative artistic inclinations may benefit from. Design/methodology/approach – The philosophy of the author's facilitation of this creative artist support group is based upon the humanistic psychology foundations of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, as well as the author's previous work on the relationship of the creative artist to mental disturbance and mental health. Findings – The pragmatic illustrations of therapeutic benefit from participation in this creative artist support group are directly related to the humanistic supportive atmosphere that is described in this paper as a cornerstone of the Artistic Theory of Psychology. Originality/value – This paper is highly original in the context of the author's description of his Artistic Theory of Psychology, which utilizes the foundation for the “successful creative artist” as being successful in both one's chosen artistic realm as well as making a satisfactory adjustment to day-to-day life. It should also be noted that this paper has been written in the context of a “brief case study” as discussed in August 2013 with the Journal of Public Mental Health editor.

Positive psychology: resilience and its role within mental health nursing

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Jan Macfarlane
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Mental Health Nursing ◽  
Mental Health Workforce ◽  
Positive Psychological Interventions ◽  
Health Nursing ◽  
The Individual ◽  
User Friendly

This is the ninth article in a series that explores the meaning of positive psychology and the importance it has on the wellbeing of the mental health workforce. It will focus on positive psychology interventions that help to develop resilience and to consider how the uplifting effect of resilience through contemporary use in the field of mental health nursing can be experienced. This article will explain what the term resilience means and how it is embedded in the practice of positive psychological interventions. Finally, it will emphasise how the application of positive psychological interventions can benefit the individual and the organisation. The practical tasks provided in the boxes throughout the article will help the reader identify what resilience means for them and understand how to further develop its transferability through evidence-based, user-friendly exercises.

scholarly journals Positive Psychology: A Personal History

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E.P. Seligman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal History ◽  
Positive Education ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Politics And Religion

As president of the American Psychological Association in 1998, I organized researchers and practitioners to work on building well-being, not just on the traditional task of reducing ill-being. Substantial research then found that well-being causes many external benefits, including better physical and mental health. Among the applications of Positive Psychology are national psychological accounts of well-being, Positive Psychotherapy, the classification of strengths and virtues, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, and Positive Education. Positive Psychology has spread beyond psychology into neuroscience, health, psychiatry, theology, and even to the humanities. Positive Psychology has many critics, and I comment on the strongest criticisms. I conclude with the hope that the building of well-being will become a cornerstone of morality, politics, and religion.

scholarly journals Studying Positive Psychology Factors in Sadi’s Gulistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnaz Imani ◽  
Hooshang Jadidi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Literary Works ◽  
Ancient Literature

Positive psychology is a subcategory of psychology which emphasizes on the importance of happiness on human’s health, using personal and social facilities. This field has different categories which are able to prosper human’s health both physically and mentally. In addition, by having a look at rich and ancient literature of Iran, we notice that there are some pieces of work which include moral and educational messages which also aim to increase human’s physical and mental health. So, in this study, we have tried to find different categories of positive psychology in Gulistan book, one of the most significant literary works written by one of the most well-known poets and writers of ancient Iran. This is a descriptive project and the content of Gulestan has been investigated. The book has been used as the society and sample, then the tales and poems, which include positive psychology factors, have been explained. The result of the project indicates that the positive psychology categories like happiness, optimism, emotional intelligence and sense and creativity are the categories which are used in Sadi’s Gulistan.

scholarly journals Forgiveness Viewed from Positive Psychology and Islam

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Idi Warsah
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Library Research

Conflicts are unavoidable in human life. Thus, for human beings, the attitude of forgiveness is of importance to be well-embedded and sustainably constructed. Resting upon the aforesaid premises, the present study conducted a library research to reveal how forgiveness is viewed from the perspectives of positive psychology and Islam. 102 scientific works reviewed, 58 works were finally selected to be scrutinized in depth. This study revealed that the discourses in the field of positive psychology imply that forgiveness attitude is of importance to be embedded in human beings and continuously constructed by virtue of its positive natural impacts on mental health, good relationships, physical health, and positive well-being. Furthermore, as informed by Islamic teachings, the attitude of forgiveness is also suggested to be well and continuously embedded. As the best Islamic role model for the end-time people, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH already exemplified that humans are indeed to always be forgiving and even to pray for others for the sake of good things that Allah SWT will bestow to. It is worth noting that both positive psychology and Islam encourage humans to be forgiving individuals.

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