A study investigating the effects of Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) on wellbeing

Abstract

Mindfulness practice and character strengths have been determined as being two separate positive psychology interventions (PPIs). However, to date, no programme has researched and investigated the effects of combining these theoretically interlinked practices together, with the aim of enhancing wellbeing from a positive psychology perspective. The current controlled study was designed to establish the effectiveness of an 8-week online mindfulnessbased character strengths practice (MBSP) on wellbeing, for the general population. Nineteen participants completed the MBSP programme, and 20 participants were placed in a nointervention control group. Self-report questionnaires, including Satisfaction With Life Scale, Flourishing Scale, Positive Psychotherapy Inventory, and a Signature Strengths Inventory Scale, were used to evaluate the levels of wellbeing and flourishing pre-and post-intervention. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests found that MBSP participants scored significantly higher in all four measures post-MBSP, whereas participants in the control group did not, with the only exception of a slight increase in satisfaction with life scores. The study found MBSP to be the first PPI programme aimed at the general population, which explicitly focuses on character strengths to elicit significant positive changes and increase levels of wellbeing. Given our preliminary results, larger samples utilising randomised control trial methods should attempt to confirm these preliminary findings. The programme's future is promising, since its application appears to have great potential to positively influence people's lives, thus moving closer to the goal of increasing societal flourishing.

Integrating Mindfulness and Character Strengths for Improved Well-Being, Stress, and Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice

“…Two comparison studies showed MBSP is superior to the gold-standard mindfulness-based program, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), on the workplace outcome of employee performance using supervisory ratings (both fared equally to one another and superior to controls for well-being and stress) (Pang & Ruch, 2019a) and in elevating certain character strengths such as humor (Hofmann et al, 2019). Other empirical studies found MBSP to be superior to controls in boosting flourishing, life satisfaction, engagement, and signature strengths use (Ivtzan, Niemiec, & Briscoe, 2016), as well as showing significant improvements to engagement, health, well-being, and meaning, as well as increases in student retention at the collegiate level (Wingert et al, 2020).…”

Glück und Nachhaltigkeit

“…93 Achtsamkeit ist somit mit Persönlichkeitsentwicklung verbunden. Ivtzan et al (2016). 94 Nehls (2014) Lefebre (2013);Triclot (2013).…”

Flourishing families: Effects of a positive psychology intervention on parental flow, engagement, meaning and hope

“…This eight-week programme applying the principles of mindfulness in the context of positive psychology is about engaging more deeply with life: it helps us to achieve our goals, to cope with problems and to connect deeper with others. One study investigating effects of MBSP on well-being for a general population (Ivtzan, Niemiec & Briscoe, 2016) showed that the experiment group scored higher on well-being and flourishing, and that the programme had a positive impact on well-being.…”