Recently, many universities have implemented programmes in which therapy dogs and their handlers visit college campuses. Despite the immense popularity of therapy dog sessions, few randomized studies have empirically tested the efficacy of such programmes. The present study evaluates the efficacy of such a therapy dog programme in improving the well-being of university students. This research incorporates two components: (a) a pre/post within-subjects design, in which 246 participants completed a brief questionnaire immediately before and after a therapy dog session and (b) an experimental design with a delayed-treatment control group, in which all participants completed baseline measures and follow-up measures approximately 10 hr later. Only participants in the experimental condition experienced the therapy dog session in between the baseline and follow-up measures. Analyses of pre/post data revealed that the therapy dog sessions had strong immediate benefits, significantly reducing stress and increasing happiness and energy levels. In addition, participants in the experimental group reported a greater improvement in negative affect, perceived social support, and perceived stress compared with those in the delayed-treatment control group. Our results suggest that single, drop-in, therapy dog sessions have large and immediate effects on students' well-being, but also that the effects after several hours are small.

Many studies have found benefits of positive psychological interventions, such as gratitude promotion or thinking about best possible selves, for adolescents and adults. Almost no research, however, has been conducted on the efficacy of such interventions for children. The authors' primary goal was to compare the outcomes of gratitude promotion and best possible selves interventions to a control condition, using a sample of elementary school-aged children (N = 62, ages 5-11 years). Children participated in once-weekly intervention sessions in which they were asked to draw a picture of something for which they were grateful that day (gratitude condition), a future version of themselves as happy and engaged (best possible selves condition), or something they had done that day (control condition). Analyses of the content of children's drawings indicated that children of this age were capable of articulating things for which they were grateful and positive future selves. Outcomes for the gratitude condition did not differ from the control condition; however, participants in the best possible selves condition showed greater gains in self-esteem than those in the gratitude or control conditions.

This article provides an integrated review of positive psychological assessment and conceptualization methods and tools currently available to practitioners within the framework of a new assessment model-the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment. Cultural considerations stemming from the Culturally Appropriate Assessment Model were incorporated into the Practice Model of Positive Psychological Assessment to provide a comprehensive positive psychological assessment model. Furthermore, practice recommendations grounded in the positive psychological literature are provided to enhance the implementation of this model at various assessment stages. In addition, specific tools are provided to fill the gaps within the literature and guide clinicians in the formulation of a balanced assessment and conceptualization, including the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment Intake-Adult and Child/ Adolescent Forms, the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment Semistructured Clinical Interview, the Comprehensive Model

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