Determining the Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Interventions on Positive Symptoms of Psychology and Psychopathological Symptoms in Farhangian University Students

Yousefi, Noorellah; Pirkhaefi , Alireza; Borjali, Ahmad

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Yousefi N, Pirkhaefi A, Borjali A. Determining the Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Interventions on Positive Symptoms of Psychology and Psychopathological Symptoms in Farhangian University Students. MEJDS 2025; 15 (0) :7-7
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-2918-en.html

Determining the Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Interventions on Positive Symptoms of Psychology and Psychopathological Symptoms in Farhangian University Students

Noorellah Yousefi¹

, Alireza Pirkhaefi ^*²

, Ahmad Borjali³

1- PhD Student in Educational Psychology, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran
2- Associate Professor of Psychology Department, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran
3- Full Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: (1213 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: The mental health system was primarily focused on treating mental health disorders and eliminating the symptoms of psychopathology. In the abbreviated version of the disease symptoms checklist, three common symptoms of psychopathology, namely somatization, depression, and anxiety, are emphasized. However, it has been acknowledged that focusing only on eliminating pathological symptoms alone cannot bring mental health to a person. Still, besides reducing pathological symptoms, positive psychological symptoms should also increase. Positive psychological symptoms provide well–being and good living for a person, including emotional well–being, psychological well–being, and social well–being. Therefore, when people show few pathological symptoms and high positive psychological symptoms, they experience complete mental health. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions on positive psychological symptoms and pathological–psychological symptoms in Farhangian University students.
Methods: This research method was interventional and quasi–experimental, with a pretest–posttest design and a control group with a one–month follow–up. The statistical population included all students of Farhangian University in Tehran City, Iran, in the academic year of 2021–2022. Among them, 30 eligible volunteers were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (positive psychology interventions) and a control group (15 people in each group). The inclusion criteria for entering the research included being a student teacher, filling out an agreement and ethical consent form to join the research, and not having a stressful event such as the death of a loved one in the last 6 months. The exclusion criteria included failure to complete the ethical agreement and consent form, absence of more than two meetings, and non–cooperation in completing the research tools in the pretest and posttest. First, four experts checked and confirmed the content validity of the educational package of positive psychology interventions (3 people with a doctorate in clinical psychology and one with a doctorate in psychometrics). Only the experimental group received nine training sessions of positive psychology interventions. Both the experimental group and the control group responded to two study instruments before and after the training and in the one–month follow–up period: the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (Keyes et al., 2008) and the Brief Symptom Inventory–18 (Derogatis & Fitzpatrick, 2004). Data analysis was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test at a significance level 0.05 using SPSS software version 24.
Results: The analysis of variance with recurrent measurements showed that the time and group effects on emotional well–being variables, social well–being, psychological well–being, positive psychological resources, somatization, depression, anxiety, and psychological pathology symptoms were statistically significant (p<0.05). Bonferroni test results showed that in the experimental group, between the mean scores of emotional well–being variables, social well–being, psychological well–being, positive psychological resources, somatization, depression, anxiety, and psychological pathology symptoms in the pretest and posttest became (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the average variables in the posttest and follow–up. Also, there was no significant difference between the average variables in the posttest and follow–up, indicating the durability of the effectiveness of the intervention at the follow–up stage (p>0.05).
Conclusion: According to the research findings, teaching positive psychology interventions increases the positive symptoms of psychology and decreases the psychopathological symptoms of Farhangian University students.

Keywords: Positive psychology, Mental health, Positive symptoms of psychology, Psychopathological symptoms

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Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology

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