Positive psychology interventions in palliative care: Cui bono?

Abstract

A science of positive subjective experience, positive individual traits, and positive institutions promises to improve quality of life and prevent the pathologies that arise when life is barren and meaningless" (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi 2000). This is how Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi introduced positive psychology over 20 years ago. Who could not agree with these noble goals?Based on findings showing in particular that gratitude lessens death anxiety (Althaus et al. 2018; Lau and Cheng 2011, 2013), positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been widely welcomed in palliative care as a promising lead to enhance patients' quality of life (Althaus et al. 2018). But it's not all positive, and debate surrounds PPI, which is fought with arguments of all sorts (