Effectiveness of online, school-based Positive Psychology Interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing: A systematic review

Abstract

Online positive psychology interventions provide a more equitable method for young people to access wellbeing education at school than more traditional face to face programs. This systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of universal, online, school-based, positive psychology interventions using recommendations by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses - protocols (PRISMA-P). Nine articles were identified for the review and were deductively, thematically analyzed using an enhanced RE-AIM framework which adopts a wider systems perspective including evaluation of socio-ecological readiness system wide buy-in and consideration of micro (individual) to macro (governing bodies) levels of influence, on both reach and adoption. Effectiveness assessment identified common factors for success related primarily to implementation (e.g., readiness, reach, outcomes, adoption, implementation, and maintenance). For example, buy-in from stakeholders was found to be highest when PPIs are age appropriate, engaging and helpful. Also brief, more frequent sessions, may be more effective than less frequent longer sessions and multi-level stakeholder buy-in may result in higher completion rates leading to better overall program effectiveness.

Positive Psychology Goes to School: Conceptualizing Students’ Happiness in 21st Century Schools While ‘Minding the Mind!’ Are We There Yet? Evidence-Backed, School-Based Positive Psychology Interventions

“…There is no need for an outside expert to develop a curriculum for the programmes studied above, according to the PPIs analysed. This information supports the argument that teachers should get training in positive education (44). If future PPI tests incorporate teacher reports as well as student reports, qualified instructors will be familiar with the positive psychology evaluation indices, which would be advantageous for future PPI evaluations (58).…”

“…A practise of paying attention, typically to a single item designated as the centre of concentration is one recognised strategy that has been proven to induce the good sensation of tranquilly. Studies on adults have shown that meditation increases feelings of calm, compassion, reduces stress, enhances physical health, promotes self-compassion, increases selfawareness, and encourages self-regulatory behaviour (44). Meditation should thus be employed in schools to improve well-being of students.…”

A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies of the antecedents and consequences of wellbeing among university students

“…The negatively associated variables in the Self domain were mainly related to mental illness, and universities often provide psychological services to students. But given the finite capacity of university counselling services, and the known rates of mental illness among people in this age group, scalable methods of treatment might be considered [157,158]. Further, despite recent advances, much mental illness still goes untreated, so awareness campaigns and screening programmes might help to bridge this gap.…”

Contributions of Positive Psychology to Higher Education Across Asia: A Scoping Review and Unifying Thematic Framework

“…There are numerous demonstrations of the efficacy of positive psychology interventions for students' well-being in schools. These are illustrated by systematic reviews which report quantitative analyses of the pooled effect size (Cilar et al, 2020;Francis et al, 2021;Mendes de Oliveira et al, 2022;Tejada-Gallardo et al, 2020). Positive education has had fewer inroads in the higher education setting.…”