Comparing the acceptability of a positive psychology intervention versus a cognitive behavioural therapy for clinical depression

Abstract

There is growing evidence on the efficacy of positive psychology interventions (PPI) to treat clinical disorders. However, very few studies have addressed their acceptability. The present study aimed to analyse 2 key components of acceptability (i.e., client satisfaction and adherence to treatment) of a new PPI programme, the Integrative Positive Psychological Intervention for Depression (IPPI-D), in comparison to a standard cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme in the treatment of clinical depression. One hundred twenty-eight women with a DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia were allocated to a 10-session IPPI-D or CBT group intervention condition. Results showed that both interventions were highly acceptable for participants. Attendance rates were high, and there were no significant differences between conditions. However, the IPPI-D condition showed significantly higher client satisfaction than the CBT condition. Moreover, acceptability did not differ based on participants' severity of symptoms, regardless of condition. These findings encourage further investigations of the applicability of PPI in clinical settings in order to broaden the range of acceptable and suitable therapies for depressed patients. Key Practitioner Message This study sheds light on the client satisfaction and adherence to a positive intervention. For participants, positive psychology interventions (PPI) may be more satisfactory than CBT as PPI are framed within a positive mental health model and, consequently, may reduce the risk of stigmatization Because acceptability of treatments and preferences may affect the efficacy of treatments, this study provides an excellent opportunity to offer professionals more therapeutic options to tailor treatments to clients' needs and expectations.

Predicting optimal interventions for clinical depression: Moderators of outcomes in a positive psychological intervention vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy

“…In this analysis, baseline (0 months) and post-treatment (3 months) scores on the BDI-II were used. On average, participants were severely depressed (CBT: M = 37.42, SD = 10.68; IPPI-D: M = 34.66, SD = 10.13) and presented high comorbidity (Lopez-Gomez et al, 2017). Treatment condition was a binary variable and referred to either CBT or IPPI-D. Hypothesized predictors were measured at baseline and are displayed in Table 1.…”

“…For this purpose, the treatment selection method developed by DeRubeis et al (2014) was applied as a post-hoc analysis of data from a recently published trial comparing the efficacy of a CBT group intervention and a positive psychology group intervention (IPPI-D) for clinical depression Lopez-Gomez et al, 2017;Vazquez et al, 2018). Results showed that both intervention programs were statistically and clinically effective as well as highly acceptable for clinically depressed participants, with no significant differences either in the main (i.e., severity of depressive symptoms and clinical diagnosis) or secondary (e.g., emotional functioning, well-being) outcomes.…”

“…A comprehensive description of the participants and procedures can be found in previous publications (Chaves et al, 2017(Chaves et al, , 2019Lopez-Gomez et al, 2017). Participants were 128 women between the ages of 27 and 83 (mean age: 52.02; SD: 10.58) who met criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression or dysthymia, using the SCID structured interview (Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV; First et al 1996).…”

GET.HAPPY2 – User perspectives on an internet‐based self‐management positive psychology intervention among persons with and without depression: Results from a retrospective survey

“…The majority of studies, most of them investigating online programs, suggest that PPIs can lead to an increase in well‐being, a reduction in symptoms of depression as well as anxiety, and an increase in subjective health (Antoine, Dauvier, Andreotti, & Congard, ; Bolier, Haverman, Kramer et al, ; Görges, Oehler, Hirschhausen, von, Hegerl, & Rummel‐Kluge, ; Seligman, Rashid, & Parks, ; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, ; Shapira & Mongrain, ; Wellenzohn, Proyer, & Ruch, ; see Bolier & Abello, ; Mitchell, Vella‐Brodrick, & Klein, for reviews) . Recent studies comparing PPI and CBT group therapies suggest that PPIs are as effective as CBT interventions in treating severe clinical depression, while leading to even greater satisfaction scores among patients (Chaves, Lopez‐Gomez, Hervas, & Vazquez, ; Lopez‐Gomez, Chaves, Hervas, & Vazquez, ). However, results were not consistent across studies as others did not observe an improvement concerning symptoms of depression (Abbott, Klein, Hamilton, & Rosenthal, ; Gander, Proyer, Ruch, & Wyss, ; Mitchell, Stanimirovic, Klein, & Vella‐Brodrick, ; Mongrain & Anselmo‐Matthews, ; Sin, Della Porta, & Lyubomirsky, ).…”

Creative Writing, Behaviour, and Behavioral Psychology: Descriptive Study in the Indonesian Language and Literature Department

“…In this context, researchers also do not fully use behavioral psychology, but are also supported by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Through this CBT, a person can get therapy, treatment, and handling a problem positively in the hope that it can produce positive things as well [12]; [11]; [3].…”