21 Apr 8 Mix-and-Match Ingredients for a Tailored Be-Well Plan
via Psychology Today by Christopher Bergland
When it comes to improving psychological well-being, there are lots of options but surprisingly little evidence-based knowledge about how effectively each one—in and of itself or in combination with other interventions—optimally improves mental states of well-being.
A new systematic review and meta-analysis by a team of Australian researchers “aimed to overcome limitations of previous reviews by examining the efficacy of distinct types of psychological interventions, irrespective of their theoretical underpinning, and the impact of various moderators.” Their peer-reviewed findings (Van Agteren et al., 2021) were published on April 19 in Nature Human Behaviour.
What’s the best way to build personal well-being?
For this worldwide systematic review and meta-analysis, a collaborative team of researchers from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and Flinders University identified 419 randomized and controlled trials involving over fifty thousand participants (n = 53,288) from clinical and non-clinical populations for inclusion.
According to a news release, this is the largest systematic review and meta-analysis of well-being studies from around the world to address the million-dollar question: “What’s the best way to build personal well-being?”
To answer, participants from the 419 studies were divided into three groups: those with generally good health, those with physical illness, and those with mental illness. Of note: The researchers acknowledge that among the 419 studies they examined, “the evidence quality was generally low to moderate.” They also state that “effect sizes were moderate at best, but differed according to target population and moderator, most notably intervention intensity.” While the current empirical evidence “requires further advancement,” the authors say that their systematic review “provides insight into how psychological interventions can be designed to improve mental well-being.”
Mix-and-match for best results.
“During stressful and uncertain periods in our lives, pro-actively working on our mental health is crucial to help mitigate the risk of mental and physical illness,” first author Joep van Agteren, co-lead at the SAHMRI Wellbeing and Resilience Centre, said in the news release. “Our research suggests there are numerous psychological approaches people should experiment with to determine what works for them.”
Although it’s possible to build and improve an individual’s psychological well-being, Van Agteren stressed, “there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.”
… keep reading the full & original article HERE