Distressed Users Report a Better Response to Online Positive Psychology Interventions Than Nondistressed Users

The present study was designed to explore whether participants of online positive psychology interventions (OPPIs) can be differentiated by means of a cluster analysis and whether these clusters can predict outcome. Demographic and subjective well-being information was collected from 2 large samples (combined N = 6,856) for up to 6 mo following completion of a variety of brief positive psychology exercises (e.g., cultivating gratitude, self-compassion, optimism). The 2-cluster solution classifying OPPI users by distress level at baseline was consistent with the solution reported by Parks and colleagues (2012). Nondistressed users were found to be moderately happy and experienced only mild depressed mood whereas distressed users reported low levels of life satisfaction and significant depressive symptomatology. The results of mixed models examining changes in subjective well-being following exercise completion showed that the distressed cluster reported greater decreases in depressive symptoms and increases in life satisfaction over time than the nondistressed cluster. This finding generalized to a second sample at posttest and held in a sensitivity analysis accounting for attrition effects. This demonstrates that OPPIs can be particularly effective for those suffering from emotional distress and may offer an alternative, cost-effective way to contribute to subjective well-being for those suffering from psychological symptoms.Keywords: positive psychology, online positive psychology exercises, subjective well-being, depression, life satisfactionResumeLa presente etude visait a determiner si les participants a des interventions de psychologie positive (IPP) en ligne pouvaient etre distingues au moyen d'une analyse typologique et si ces groupes pouvaient predire les resultats. Des renseignements demographiques et subjectifs sur le bien-etre ont ete amasses aupres des sujets de deux grands echantillons (au total, N ^ 6856), jusqu'a 6 mois apres avoir realise une variete de brefs exercices de psychologie positive (par ex., pour cultiver la gratitude, l'autocompassion, l'optimisme). La solution a 2 groupes classant les utilisateurs d'IPP en ligne selon le niveau de detresse de reference etait conforme a la solution rapportee par Parks et al. (2012). Les utilisateurs exempts de detresse se sont dits moderement heureux et n'ont connu qu'une legere humeur depressive, tandis que les utilisateurs en detresse ont rapporte de faibles niveaux de satisfaction de vivre et une importante symptomatologie depressive. Selon les resultats de modeles mixtes examinant les changements dans le bien-etre subjectif apres la realisation des exercices, le groupe en detresse a rapporte, au fil du temps, une diminution plus grande de la symptomatologie depressive ainsi qu'une amelioration de la satisfaction de vivre, comparativement au groupe exempt de detresse. Ce resultat a ete generalise a un deuxieme echantillon de post-test et s'est maintenu dans une analyse de sensibilite tenant compte des effets d'attrition. L'etude a montre que les IPP en ligne peuvent etre particulierement efficaces parmi les sujets souffrant d'un trouble emotionnel et qu'ils peuvent constituer un moyen de rechange peu couteux pour contribuer au bien-etre subjectif des personnes presentant des symptomes psychologiques.Mots-cles : psychologie positive, exercice de psychologie positive en ligne, bien-etre subjectif, depression, satisfaction de vivre.Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been a vibrant focus of research in the last decade. Such interventions emphasize the cultivation of positive emotions and experiences to improve mental health and subjective well-being. Typically delivered in a self-directed format, PPIs involve learning one or more brief exercises designed to induce a positive emotional experience and practicing over a prescribed period of time, usually 1- 6 weeks. The positive psychology approach as adopted by positive psychotherapy assumes that psychopathology results when psychological and sociocultural factors thwart an individual's "inherent capacities for growth, fulfillment, and wellbeing" (Rashid, 2015). …