Positive psychology psychoeducation makes a small impact on undergraduate student mental health: Further curriculum innovation and better well-being research needed

Abstract

Objectives: Courses on well-being are increasingly evaluated to see how they may promote mental health in college. We examined the impact of a course on students’ well-being, anxiety, and depression. Methods: Subjects were undergraduates enrolled in the “Science of Happiness,” (SOH) (n = 105), and “Child and Adolescent Psychopathology,” (CAP) (n = 114). Well-being measures included the PERMA Profiler and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) at the beginning and conclusion of the semester. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale − 21 items (DASS-21) measured psychopathology. Results: There were significant improvements on the SWLS 1.28 (p =.038; d =.264) in SOH. There was no improvement for the PERMA Profiler in either group, and no differences between groups. There was no significant change on the DASS-21 for SOH subjects. Conclusions: Undergraduate courses that deliver positive psychology psychoeducation have a small effect size even in non-randomized studies. Future curriculum innovation is needed and better research to validate positive psychology psychoeducation.