Tailoring Positive Psychology Interventions to Treat Depressed Individuals

W hen Scott finally sought treatment, it was apparent that he had been struggling for some time. He was unshaven and wore large, crumpled clothes that overwhelmed his thin frame. At 27, Scott seemed to move with the labored, slouched shuffling of an elderly man. Slowly and dully, with frequent pauses, Scott explained that he had been feeling persistently sad and withdrawn for several years, starting in college. However, his mental health had steadily deteriorated ever since he began a new job several months earlier. Scott felt inadequate and worthless, particularly at work. His poor self-esteem was further compounded by his lack of meaningful friendships. Scott found no delight in activities he used to enjoy, such as biking, playing classical guitar, and reading philosophy books. When not dragging himself through the workday, Scott passed the time by sitting or lying motionless at home for hours on end. He doubted he would ever feel good again. What can positive psychology do for Scott? Traditionally, psychologists have equated mental health with the absence of mental illness – that is, Scott would be considered psychologically well when his depressive symptoms are relieved. A shift in mental health practice and research began to unfold in the final years of the 20th century, when the field of positive psychology emerged to unite disparate theory and knowledge on positive functioning and to advance work on positive mental health (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). Increasingly, psychological well-being is now understood as both the absence of mental illness and the presence of positive psychological resources, such as positive affect and satisfaction with one’s life (Diener, 1984), autonomy, competence, relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2001), self-acceptance, purpose, and personal growth (Ryff, 1989).