The Effectiveness of Positive Psychotherapy on Time Perspective, Emotional Well-being and Optimism in students with Depression disorder symptoms

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Positive Psychotherapy on Time Perspective, Emotional Well-being and Optimism in students with Depression disorder symptoms. This research was a semi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design with the control group. The statistical population of the study included all female students with Depression disorder symptoms in medical Isfahan University. The sample size of the study consisted of 24 students with Depression disorder symptoms, who were selected by purposeful sampling method on the basis of a Beck depression inventory (BDI-II). They were randomly divided into two groups experimental and control. Then, the participations of the two groups were evaluated using the Life Orientation questionnaire of Scheier and Carver (1985), Time Perspective (Zimbardo, 1999), Subjective well-being (Keyes, Magyar-Moe, 2003). The experimental group received group Positive Psychotherapy intervention (6 sessions of 90 minutes) while the control group received no training at all. The results of covariance analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between the scores of Time Perspective, Emotional Well-being and Optimism in the experimental and control groups in the post-test. Experts in the experimental group, in comparison with the control group, received higher scores in Emotional Well-being and Optimism. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that Positive Psychotherapy intervention is an important factor in increasing Emotional Well-being and Optimism and moderation Time Perspective of students with symptoms of depression disorder.