The effect of a positive psychology intervention on adolescents' depression, hope, and optimism

Interventions based on positive psychology foster emotional well-being by increasing hope and optimism and mitigating issues such as depression and anxiety. However, these programs have primarily been implemented with adults, and few studies have demonstrated the efficacy of positive psychology approaches in enhancing hope and optimism and reducing depression among adolescents. Such programs for adolescents-particularly in developing countries such as Türkiye-remain largely understudied. This study examined the efficacy of a positive psychology intervention (PPI) in reducing depression and increasing hope and optimism in adolescents with depression. A total of 137 adolescents (57 girls and 80 boys) participated in the study. Of these, 26 adolescents were allocated at random to each group and completed the final assessment. The study employed an experimental design, and ANOVA was performed to assess differences between test scores. The results revealed that adolescents in the experimental group had significantly lower depression scores than those in the control group. Furthermore, whereas hope and optimism significantly increased in adolescents in the experimental group, no similar change was noted in the control group. 1-month follow-up test results also yielded similar results. The findings establish the long-term efficacy of PPIs in alleviating depression and fostering hope and optimism in adolescents.