An Online Large-group One-session Training to Enhance Positive Mental Health

Current models suggest that mental health is not the mere absence of a mental disorder. Rather, mental health consists of two factors, mental disorder symptoms and positive mental health, that can be regarded as continua. Programmes applying interventions known from the positive psychology or positive psychotherapy framework have been shown to enhance psychological wellbeing, subjective wellbeing and to reduce depressive symptoms. However, interventions were mostly conducted in an individual or small group setting and usually consisted of more than one session. The few trainings of minimal length that were conducted in group settings only used one intervention strategy or one part of multicomponent positive psychological interventions. Therefore, the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of short group-interventions are limited. In this study, the investigators plan to conduct an online large-group one-session training to enhance positive mental health that comprises multiple positive psychological interventions (e.g. character strengths, positive communication, goal attainment, etc). Furthermore, an active as well as a passive (waitlist) control group are included in the study. In the active control group, dysfunctional thoughts are adressed that are known to everybody but exist in a great measure in people suffering from depressive disorders. Methods used in cognitive therapy are applied in this group. Participants will be recruited from a community sample without any inclusion criteria but being of legal age. The only exclusion criterion is not having the appropriate technical equipment for participation in a videoconference. Positive mental health as well as other constructs of mental health will be assessed before and after training and at one month and six months follow up to investigate long-term effects of the intervention.