The effectiveness of a positive group psychotherapy on the promotion of young adults' mental health

Background: Positive mental health has had different definitions, but the current one embraces the presence of levels of well-being and decreased levels of psychopathology. This vision of positive mental health has increased the interest in developing positive psychological intervention programs and activities that promote mental health, increasing levels of well- being and decreasing levels of psychopathology. This study aimed to verify the impact and effectiveness of a positive psychotherapybased group intervention plan, in a non-clinical sample on the increase of well-being and reduction of psychopathology. Method: The sample was selected by non-random convenience, consisting of 40 participants, who were subdivided into an experimental group and a comparison group, each consisting of 20 elements. The experimental group is made up by 11 men (55%) and 9 women (45%), with ages between 18- 27 years old, being the average of ages 20,70 (SD= 2,830). The comparison group is composed by 10 women (50%) and 10 men (50%) aged between 18 and 27 years old, being the average of the ages 22 (SD=6,808). To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, an assessment was done in two moments (pre and posttest), using the MHC-SF (for well-being assessment) and the DASS-21 (for psychopathology assessment) as assessment measures. Results: The results obtained show a significant improvement in social well-being as well as a reduction in the levels of psychopathology (anxiety, depression, and stress). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that participation in the program is beneficial for mental health promotion. It is suggested that a larger sample size and a randomization process may be used in future research.