Does Positive Psychology Ease Symptoms of Depression

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Recommended: What is the importance of positive psychology

Even many of those well versed in the field of psychology may know very little about the idea and subject of positive psychology. It almost seems as though so much attention and time is focused on human emotional, mental, and overall psychological ailments and woes that one easily forgets that there is a flipside to this. Positive psychology aims to target not the negative feelings or even the circumstantial triggers that set off psychological hot button issues like depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsion.
What is positive psychology? It has been defined as a form of psychological and scientific study that examines what makes an individual’s life worth living and employs a specific theory to develop an understanding of human strengths that are significant to enhance the individual’s overall happiness and well-being (Chih-Chin, et al., 2013). Positive psychology, put in layman’s terms, is the study of what makes each person the best version of themself; a state of being which Martin Seligman refers to as “flourishing.” He states in his book, Flourish, “Positive psychology makes people happier.” Seligman states that flourishing is comprised of multiple components; these are happiness, flow, meaning, love, gratitude, accomplishment, growth, and better relationships (Seligman, 2011.) All of these things combined at the right time in a person’s life can lead them to a better place mentally, emotionally, and psychologically.
What, does it mean to flourish? It is defined in the dictionary as: flourish: to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment. (Mirriam Webster, 2014.) Reviewing the elements listed above that combine to bring a person to a stat...

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... Westerhof, F., Riper, H., Smit, F., & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-20. doi: EBSCHOhost
Chih-Chin, C., Fong, C., Yui Chung Chan, J., Phillips, B., Ditchman, N., & Kaseroff, A. (2013). Positive psychology theory, reasearch, and practice: A primer for rehabilitation counseling professionals. Rehabilitation Research, Policy & Education, 27(3), 131-153. doi: ebscohost
Flourish. (n.d.). Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flourish Mongrain, M., & Anselmo-Matthews, T. (2012). Do positive pscyhology exercises work? a replication of seligman et al. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 382-389. doi: EBSCHOhost
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York, NY: Free Press.

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