Positive psychology is a broad field of knowledge that promotes the flourishing of society through positive emotions and behavior. Research in this field involves forming beneficial habits that would enhance comfort and quality of life. Allen et al.’s (2021) work raise questions about how mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in positive psychology contribute to positive outcomes. The authors note that mindfulness is an essential criterion in health and well-being because it allows for organization and systematized needs. Healthy habits developed through MBI become effective methods for achieving psychological and physiological health.
This article provides a systematic review of the available knowledge in positive psychology related to MBI. The authors claim that amplifying positive feelings and emotions enhances human functioning (Allen et al., 2021). Similar claims were also made in Lianov et al.’s (2020) article, which discussed the applications of positive psychology. Allen et al. (2021) believe that well-being as a human trait consists of hedonic and eudaimonia, primarily tied to a conscious approach to solving a problem. In addition, the authors believe that integrating knowledge about MBI into the general body of knowledge will resolve issues related to the placebo effect. Psychological variables that are important in shaping a positive lifestyle include hope, happiness, and resilience, as these are the ones that shape positive thinking.
MBI as psychological knowledge is an integral part of the overall theory of human psychological states. The UN regularly draws attention to the fact that health is about physical well-being, maintaining mental comfort, and living up to one’s expectations of life. Allen et al. (2021) suggest that people should be directed toward eudemonic and hedonic improvement. By eudaimonia, the authors mean the pursuit of personal growth focused on awareness and mindfulness. In hedonism, a person’s aspiration refers to the experience of pleasure and enjoyment. Both terms describe the main principles of positive psychology – positive interventions based on emotional well-being allow for maximum effectiveness in improving a person’s quality of life.
Positive psychology and mindfulness go side-by-side in health care: MBI is understood as part of evidence-based medicine and social welfare, and positive interventions consist of behavioral and emotional monitoring systems. Allen et al. (2021) noticed that increasingly eudemonia and related aspects are dependent variables in psychological research. This result shows that health care needs to revise its principles because hedonic is hardly considered. Pleasure and mindfulness as human attributes do not always take the lead in therapeutic techniques. In this regard, research that demonstrates the success of applied MBI and positive psychology is needed to adjust the strategic goals of health care.
Healthcare will become a more effective system if it revises the provisions regarding psychotherapy. MBI for children will significantly improve childhood autism and personality disorders outcomes as they form a new therapeutic vision for psychotherapists (Allen et al., 2021). Online counseling, which has become relevant in the pandemic, should spread, and healthcare can develop unique programs to implement it. The online format would allow quick help and create awareness among the population: even with all the dislike of individuals for hospitals, such consultations would inspire trust. The positive psychological patterns to which health care will agitate will help the growth and development of society for its prosperity.
Thus, Allen et al.’s (2021) article is an extensive review containing helpful information for the healthcare system. The article expresses the benefits of the MBI approach, using hedonic and eudaimonia to build mindfulness and awareness. In health care, such practices will contribute to better trust indicators in the system. MBI ideas should become part of many psychotherapeutic and psychological strategies to improve people’s comfort and quality of life significantly.
References
Allen, J. G., Romate, J., & Rajkumar, E. (2021). Mindfulness-based positive psychology interventions: A systematic review. BMC psychology, 9(1), 116. Web.
Lianov, L. S., Barron, G. C., Fredrickson, B. L., Hashmi, S., Klemes, A., Krishnaswami, J., Lee, J., Le Pertel, N., Matthews, J. A., Millstein, R. A., Phillips, E. M., Sannidhi, D., de Vries, P. P., Wallace, A. & Winter, S. J. (2020). Positive psychology in health care: Defining key stakeholders and their roles. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(3), 637–647. Web.