The effects of positive psychology interventions in Arab countries: A systematic review

Basurrah, Asma Abdullah; Blasi, Zelda Di; Lambert, Louise; Murphy, Mike; Warren, Meg A.; Setti, Annalisa; Baddar, Mohammed Al-Haj; Shrestha, Topaz

doi:10.1111/aphw.12391

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Table 2 Course themes and activities symptoms, negative affect, or cultural dimensions were observed, contrary to expectation and the prevailing literature (Basurrah et al, 2021(Basurrah et al, , 2022Bolier et al, 2013;Carr et al, 2020;Chakhssi et al, 2018;Hendriks et al, 2020;Hoppen & Morina, 2021;Koydemir et al, 2021;Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009;van Agteren et al, 2021;White et al, 2019). While PPIs do work in the region, as recent meta-analyses (Bassurah et al, 2021(Bassurah et al, , 2022 and independent studies Lambert, Passmore, Scull et al, 2019) confirm, it may be that for-credit classroom offerings do not yield the same returns as those found in clinical, online, community or laboratory settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Assessing a Happiness and Wellbeing Course in the United Arab Emirates: It is What They Want, but is it What They Need?

Lambert¹,

Draper

Warren

et al. 2022

Int J Appl Posit Psychol

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Courses that target wellbeing have grown in higher education. Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs), the empirically validated activities designed to generate wellbeing, form the bulk of these courses. Their effectiveness has been documented across global meta-analyses; but less so in the Middle East/North Africa region and in classroom settings. Given the stigma of mental health, we developed and evaluated a happiness and wellbeing course to determine whether it could yield greater wellbeing in the United Arab Emirates. A semester-long happiness and wellbeing course (i.e., positive psychology) offering weekly PPIs was evaluated against preand post measures of subjective wellbeing, positive and negative emotion, a fear of happiness, locus of control, individualism and collectivism, somatic symptoms and stress. Only a statistically significant decrease in participant's fear of happiness was recorded; no other impact was evident. PPIs, while normally effective, may be less so in raising wellbeing in a classroom setting where academic pressures may conflict with necessary insight and growth. Alternatively, it may be that these interventions are less effective in non-Western contexts where happiness and wellbeing are not considered urgent or essential goals, and where distress and wellbeing may co-exist more comfortably. Thus, despite such courses being of great interest in popular discourse and regularly used to support government agendas and institutional initiatives, they may not always be impactful routes to building the wellbeing of young people in higher education. More critical assessment of their outcomes and further study into how they can be better adapted for regional audiences is the way forward.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Assessing a Happiness and Wellbeing Course in the United Arab Emirates: It is What They Want, but is it What They Need?

Lambert¹,

Draper

Warren

et al. 2022

Int J Appl Posit Psychol

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“…To the authors' knowledge, no previous reviews have systematically evaluated cultural adaptations to third-wave psychotherapies in the GCC. A similar review of cultural adaptations to positive psychology interventions in Arab countries was conducted recently (Basurrah et al, 2022b). Although these authors found that most of these interventions (91%) were culturally adapted, there are a number of reasons why the results of this previous review cannot be extrapolated to the current review of third-wave psychotherapies in the GCC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Cultural adaptations of third-wave psychotherapies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A systematic review

Alrashdi,

Alyafei,

Alanazi

et al. 2024

Transcult Psychiatry

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The effectiveness of third-wave psychotherapies has been demonstrated in a range of mental and physical health conditions in Western cultures. However, little is known about the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of third-wave psychotherapies for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) populations. This review aimed to critically evaluate cultural adaptations to third-wave psychotherapies and explored the effectiveness of these interventions on physical and mental health outcomes in GCC populations. Five bibliographic databases and grey literature were searched; both English and Arabic studies conducted in the GCC were included. Mental and physical health-related outcomes were included. Eleven studies were identified. The overall degree of cultural adaptation ranged from 2 to 5, based on Bernal et al.'s cultural adaptation framework. Language and assessment tools were most frequently adapted. Several studies incorporated goal, method, and context adaptations, whereas metaphor and content were least frequently adapted. None of the studies incorporated person or concept adaptations. Culturally adapted third-wave psychotherapies were associated with improvement in numerous mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, well-being, and psychological traits. No physical health outcomes were identified. Although findings are promising with respect to the effectiveness of third-wave psychotherapies for GCC populations, they should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies conducted, cultural adaptation evaluations relying on explicit reporting in studies, and the weak methodological quality of studies. Future rigorous research is needed in the evaluation of culturally adapted third-wave psychotherapies in GCC populations, with more comprehensive reporting of cultural considerations.

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“…Wellbeing pedagogy. Positive psychology intervention programs are effective in decreasing symptoms of mental illness and increasing wellbeing [25,[68][69][70] and have been used in the region [71][72][73]. A for-credit course can remediate mental health concerns and strengthen wellbeing [2,25] and also include financial literacy, career guidance, and attention to social issues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thanks for Asking! How UAE-Based University Students Conceptualize Happiness and How Institutions Can Improve It

Lambert¹,

Khadri²,

Mayet³

et al. 2023

Happiness and Wellness - Biopsychosocial and Anthropological Perspectives

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How happiness is defined depends on who is asked. In the case of universities, student happiness should prevail, yet their voices are often overlooked. This is also the case in the research literature where non-Western views are less frequently reflected. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country whose population is comprised of nearly 90% expatriate residents, is a good study case as campuses are filled with international students and the wellbeing of residents is a national priority. Responses from 80 UAE-based expatriate students reveal they are happiest with friends and in social activities and interactions; they want more opportunities to connect socially in classrooms and campuses, efforts which can be crafted by faculty. They also want joyful, inspiring learning where they can discuss and be exposed to other views, with many driven by the need to feel productive, efficacious and engaged. Solutions included the need for faculty to develop warmer student relationships, the maintenance of online learning to reflect realities of work and relationships, and for students to be treated with more respect as fee-paying adults. As the number of international students rise, research into their happiness and what universities can do to increase it remains a global priority.

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The effects of positive psychology interventions in Arab countries: A systematic review

Cited by 10 publications

References 48 publications

Assessing a Happiness and Wellbeing Course in the United Arab Emirates: It is What They Want, but is it What They Need?

Assessing a Happiness and Wellbeing Course in the United Arab Emirates: It is What They Want, but is it What They Need?

Cultural adaptations of third-wave psychotherapies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A systematic review

Thanks for Asking! How UAE-Based University Students Conceptualize Happiness and How Institutions Can Improve It

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