The Role of Hope in Preventive Interventions

Abstract

Preventive interventions have historically focused on reducing risk factors for psychological difficulties. Recent research has found that prevention programs are more effective when they enhance strengths, rather than merely reduce risk factors. An increased focus on strengths is consistent with a positive psychology perspective. In fact, hope has been found to be a central human strength in the positive psychology literature. Hope is associated with better adjustment, lower anxiety, lower depression, greater academic performance, and greater athletic achievement. In addition, individuals with high hope are able to respond more adaptively after traumatic events and physical illnesses. Intervention studies have shown that hope can be increased in individuals, and hope has been shown to predict more positive outcomes in psychotherapy. Future directions for research are outlined, including investigating hope as a preventive intervention for members of stigmatized groups, including ethnic minorities and lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

Beliefs in social inclusion: Invariance in associations among hope, dysfunctional attitudes, and social inclusion across adolescence and young adulthood

“…Social exclusion is a clear risk factor for mental health problems (Fowler et al, 2010; Kessler et al, 2007) and experiencing social disability itself then reinforces low hopefulness (Cohn, 1978), identifying young people with low hope and reduced social inclusion is especially important. There is emerging evidence too that preventative interventions, which traditionally may have focused on negating risks, may be more effective if focused on promoting strengths such as hopefulness (Kwon, Birrueta, Faust, & Brown, 2015). Our evidence supports broadening the scope of such preventative interventions in youth beyond the more commonly espoused foci of mood, general well-being, and academic achievement or treating mental health problems, toward the improvement of hope and young people's social inclusion.…”

Ψυχοεκπαιδευτική Παρέμβαση Για Την Ενίσχυση Της Συγχωρητικότητας Σε Παιδιά Ηλικίας 9 Έως 12 Ετών

“…Από την άλλη πλευρά, η σημαντική μείωση της διαχείρισης του θυμού που παρατηρήθηκε στους μαθητές της ομάδας ελέγχου ενδεχομένως να οφείλεται σε εξωγενείς και τυχαίους παράγοντες ή στην είσοδο των μαθητών στην εφηβεία, η οποία αποτελεί μία περίοδο που συνοδεύεται από σημαντικές συναισθηματικές αλλαγές (Ausubel, 2002). Σε κάθε περίπτωση, η επιδείνωση της διαχείρισης θυμού στην ομάδα ελέγχου σε αντιδιαστολή με την βελτίωσή της στην ομάδα παρέμβασης υπογραμμίζει τη σημασία της έγκαιρης παρέμβασης στο σχολικό περιβάλλον, προκειμένου οι μαθητές να αναπτύξουν ψυχική ανθεκτικότητα (Kwon, Birrueta, Faust, & Brown, 2015), η οποία έχει βρεθεί πως σχετίζεται με θετικά μακροπρόθεσμα αποτελέσματα για τη σωματική, ψυχική και συναισθηματική υγεία (Proctor, Linley, & Maltby, 2009).…”

The relationship of self‐compassion and hope with quality of life for individuals with bleeding disorders

“…Individuals with chronic illnesses may report lower levels of hope compared with healthy peers . Hope has been identified as an essential component of preventative psychological interventions, which may be essential for individuals managing the increased stressors of living with chronic illness …”