Symposium 149 - Integrating principles of positive psychology into cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies: A roadmap for measuring and modifying well-being

Sunday, November 19, 2023

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PST

Location: Clearwater (702), Level 7

CE: 1.5

Keywords: Treatment Development, Assessment, CBT
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Kubzansky, L. D., Kim, E. S., Boehm, J. K., Davidson, R. J., Huffman, J. C., Loucks, E. B., ... & Moskowitz, J. T. (2023). Interventions to modify psychological well-being: Progress, promises, and an agenda for future research. Affective Science, 1–11., Goodman, F. R., Disabato, D. J., & Kashdan, T. B. (2021). Reflections on unspoken problems and potential solutions for the well-being juggernaut in positive psychology. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(6), 831–837., Willroth, E. C. (2022). The benefits and challenges of a unifying conceptual framework for well-being constructs. Affective Science, 1–4., Craske, M. G., Meuret, A. E., Ritz, T., Treanor, M., Dour, H., & Rosenfield, D. (2019). Positive affect treatment for depression and anxiety: A randomized clinical trial for a core feature of anhedonia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(5), 457–471., Chakhssi, F., Kraiss, J. T., Sommers-Spijkerman, M., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2018). The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in clinical samples with psychiatric or somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 1–17.

Chair(s)

FG

Fallon Goodman, Ph.D.

George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

Discussant(s)

Emily Willroth, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri

Presenter(s)

FG

Fallon Goodman, Ph.D.

George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
EB

Emily Bowers, B.S. (she/her/hers)

Utah State University
Logan, Utah
Molly Fennig, M.A. (she/her/hers)

PhD Student
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
EA

Elizabeth Addington, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois
TB

Thröstur Björgvinsson, ABPP, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Director, Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts

Psychological well-being is an essential component of health. People with higher well-being fare better on important life outcomes (e.g., mortality risk), and deficits in well-being are both risk factors for and indicators of psychopathology. Yet, psychotherapeutic interventions have disproportionately focused on reducing symptoms and impairment rather than improving well-being.

To meet ABCT’s principal conference goal of improving well-being, researchers and clinicians must first be equipped with a foundational understanding of what “well-being” is, what it is not, and how to best measure it. Speaker #1 outlines an empirically-supported definition of well-being—a person’s perceived enjoyment and fulfillment with their life—and best practices for assessment.

With this foundation, we then demonstrate how to test three critical questions about the role of well-being in cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies.

First, how well do existing psychotherapies address components of well-being? Speaker #2 presents data from a large CBT-based treatment for adults with social anxiety disorder, a condition with deficits in a core component of well-being––positive affect. Daily diary data demonstrate that negative affect systematically declined throughout treatment but positive affect remained low. This talk highlights the importance of addressing positive affect and offers solutions for doing so. Speaker #3 tackles a second core component of well-being—social connectedness. Pilot data is presented from a treatment study using Radically Open DBT, a variant that prioritizes social connectedness as a key mechanism of change. Findings illustrate how treatments focused on improving social relationships can improve depression, anxiety, and quality of life.

Second, how can traditional cognitive-behavioral treatments be augmented with interventions that directly modify components of well-being? Speaker #4 presents data from a large RCT for a novel depression treatment that targets positive affect. This self-guided intervention combines traditional CBT interventions (e.g., behavioral activation) with positive psychological interventions (e.g., engaging personal strengths). Treatment led to reductions in depression, and these improvements were explained by acquisition of positive psychological cognitive-behavioral skills and resources.

Third, do standalone well-being interventions work—even to treat the most severe of conditions? Speaker #5 introduces Resilience-Oriented Therapy, a novel treatment program that was developed as part of recovery efforts in the aftermath of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This treatment focuses on improving positive emotions and social relationships. Data from a large pilot study and multi-site RCT in five districts in Rwanda demonstrate treatment efficacy in addressing trauma. This talk illustrates how to engage an interdisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, and community organizers to develop culturally-sensitive treatments that draw from positive psychology.

To conclude, our Discussant, a renowned expert in the science of well-being, charts a path forward for psychologists to explore the role of well-being in psychotherapy.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:

Describe how different components of well-being can optimize clinical interventions.
Explain how to augment traditional psychotherapies with well-being interventions.
Recognize the importance of positive affect and social connection in the treatment of emotional disorders.
Identify assessment tools to measure well-being in clinical practice.
Understand how to incorporate culturally-informed, positive psychological interventions into clinical practice.