Websites
Authentic Happiness (https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu), operated by the University of Pennsylvania, has a series of questionnaires that are free to use with registration and can be administered to patients, staff, and practitioners.
Character Lab (www.characterlab.org) contains a series of “playbooks” on various topics including gratitude, self-control, kindness, and grit; while geared at parents and teachers, these playbooks contain practical and actionable items that can be recommended for patients.
The Greater Good Science Center, operated by University of California at Berkeley (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu), provides a clearinghouse of evidence-based practices, such as journaling techniques or meditation styles that can build positive character attributes, such as humility, calmness, kindness, and gratitude.
The Live Happy Magazine (livehappy.com) offers a print and online publication, as well as podcasts, useful free articles, tips on positive living, and an online community that can be accessed by patients and clinicians.
Signature Strengths/Virtues in Action: VIA Institute on Character. VIA Character Survey: https://www.viacharacter.org
Wholebeing Institute: https://wholebeinginstitute.com
Websites with assessments:
| Lee Kum Sheung Center fr Health and Happiness, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Repository of Positive Psychological Wellbeing Scales. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/health-happiness/repository-of-posiitve-psychological-wellbeing-scales |
| Positive Psychology Center. Questionnaires for Researchers. https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/resources/questionnaires-researchers |
Smartphone Application Resources for Wellbeing
| App Name | Description | Areas Addressed |
| Calm | Secular approach to meditation that draws upon different cultures
Guided meditations on a variety of topics, from self-esteem to managing emotions Soundscapes for focus and stress relief “Sleep Stories” for bedtime “Calm Body” movement practices to build physical health and resilience, “Masterclasses” – in-depth class by experts on topics like mindful eating, building resilience, and sleep health |
Meditation
Stress reduction Insomnia Healthy habits Self-compassion Gratitude Physical movement |
| Happify | Offers various “tracks” customized to current life stressors and goals (inputted by user)
Offers tracking tools to measure progress Clearinghouse of guided meditations Audio guides |
Stress reduction
Decreasing negative thinking Improving emotional wellbeing |
| Headspace | Secular approach to meditation
Guided meditations on a variety of topics, from self-esteem to managing emotions Bedtime and sleep stories Options for less guidance and free meditation Highly accessible for beginners, with classes on meditation basics Less focus on music and imagery |
Meditation
Stress reduction Insomnia Healthy habits Self-compassion Gratitude |
| Insight Timer | Clearinghouse of meditation practices from around the world (secular as well as drawing upon different world religions)
Large offering of free meditations contributed by individuals around the world Also offers curated tracks and classes on different topics |
Meditation
Visualizations Tech-savvy meditator Persons looking to build own meditation practice Practices for more experienced meditator |
| Joyable | Offers a health coach and weekly assignments grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing on reduction of anxiety | Generalized anxiety
Stress management Persons looking for a personal coach/mentor |
| My Happy Avatar | Highlights the user’s strengths, including character and personality strengths (as identified by the user) and sends reminders to engage in positive activities according to a weekly plan developed by the user | Healthy habits
Positive activities Character strengths Personality strengths Individual resources Positive journaling |
| Shine | Offers daily text messages, articles, audio guides, and music to help address practical challenges of modern life
Geared toward and led by women, but available to all |
Topics of interest to women
Workplace challenges Empathy and self-care |
| ThriveMedPlus | Provides descriptions of evidence-based positive psychology exercises to address health professional wellbeing, as a resource to give to patients, and as a resource to building positive relationships with coworkers and patients | Directed at health professionals
Healthcare workplace challenges |
Positive Psychology Thought Leaders
| Thought Leader | Focus Area | URL | Key Articles or Books |
| Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | Flow | http://positivepsychology.org.uk/living-in-flow/ | Csikszentmihalyi M. Finding Flow. The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. New York: Basic Books, 1997. |
| Angela Duckworth | Grit, personality traits, success | https://angeladuckworth.com | Duckworth AL. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2016. |
| Sonja Lyubomirsky | Happiness, gratitude practice | http://sonjalyubomirsky.com | Lyubomirsky S. The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. New York, NY: The Penguin Press, 2008. |
| Martin Seligman | Flourishing and PERMA | https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu | Seligman MEP. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Wellbeing. New York, NY: Atria, 2011. |
| Ed Diener | Wellbeing, flourishing, life satisfaction | https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/ed-diener | Diener E, Diener RB. Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, Blackwell: Oxford, 2008.
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| Barbara Fredrickson | Positive emotions, positivity ratio, positivity resonance, broaden-and-build theory, upward spiral of positive emotion | https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/barb-fredrickson/
http://www.positivityratio.com/single.php https://www.positvityresonance.com |
Frederickson BL. Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the Upward Spiral That Will Change Your Life. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2009.
Fredrickson B. Love 2.0: Finding Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection. New York: Plume, 2013. |
Academic Institutions and Professional Organizations
International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), the flagship membership organization for PP worldwide, offers useful educational opportunities for clinicians, especially through its Division of Positive Health and Wellbeing. The members of IPPA include practitioners and professionals from a variety of disciplines who work together to share and disseminate PP findings and research. The IPPA hosts its World Congress biannually and offers mentoring in PP. IPPA’s learning library offers a wealth of resources, including recorded presentations from conferences, webinars, articles, and videos. (https://www.ippanetwork.org/learninglibrary/)
Regional PP associations across the globe allow for networking and practice development through local collaboration and conferences. Additional organizations that offer membership and opportunities for collaboration with PP experts include: the American Psychological Association (Division 38 – Society for Health Psychology; Division 47 – Society for Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology) and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Several other organizations and stakeholders have also served as champions of PP and wellbeing in various domains. The following is a selected list of programs that incorporate PP techniques:
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- Veterans’ Affairs Health Administration – Whole Health Program: Self-care skill building and support
- Kaiser Permanente Medical Group – Thrive Campaign Program: Personalized care plans
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- Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiac Psychiatry Program: Offers PPIs for cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and other conditions
- HERO – Health Enhancement Research Organization: Wellbeing scorecards
Academic and Organizational Resources for Elements of Positive Health
| University & Professional Associations | Center and/or Organizational Aim | URL | Training/Education Opportunities |
| American College of Lifestyle Medicine | Educating, equipping, and empowering health professionals in prevention, treatment, and remission or reversal of chronic disease | https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/ | Annual meeting, webinars, online training focused on lifestyle medicine; includes PP especially for health behavior change |
| American Psychosomatic Society (APS) | Integrating mind, brain, body and social context into medicine | https://www.psychosomatic.org/home/index.cfm | Annual meeting, APS Journal |
| Claremont Graduate University | Division of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences | https://www.cgu.edu/academics/program/positive-health-psychology | Psychology program on optimism, physical health, positive health behaviors, social support/relationships to maximize health and wellbeing |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Benson Henry Institute | www.benson-henryinstitute.org | Advanced training in stress management, resiliency, and cognitive reappraisal training |
| Health Enhancement Research Organization | Advancing health, wellbeing through employer leadership | https://hero-health.org/hero-scorecard/ | Wellbeing scorecards |
| International Positive Psychology Association | PP research and application, facilitate collaboration, share findings | https://www.ippanetwork.org/ | Member access to a large library on positive psychology and health: https://www.ippanetwork.org/learninglibrary |
| Society of Behavioral Medicine | Multi-specialty professionals improving health and quality of life through proven behavioral science | https://www.sbm.org/ | Annual meeting and scientific sessions in behavioral medicine |
| Stanford University | Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) | http://ccare.stanford.edu/ | Compassion cultivation training
WELL for Life program |
| University of Pennsylvania | Positive Psychology Center | www.ppc.sa.upenn.edu; https://www.coursera.org/specializations/positivepsychology; | Online Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization through Coursera
Masters in Applied Positive Psychology |
| University of California, Berkeley | Greater Good Science Center | https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/ | Information and education on evidence-based practices that address: community, culture, education, media & tech, mind & body, relationships, parenting & family, politics, spirituality, workplace |
| Yale University | Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | http://ei.yale.edu/ | Research and education with focus on emotions driving learning, decision-making, creativity, relationships, and health. |
| Wholebeing Institute | https://wholebeinginstitute.com | Certificate in whole-being PP (covering the science and direct application of PP); PP coaching certification |
Community Resource and Research Centers
Action for Happiness (https://www.actionforhappiness.org), a movement led by Richard Layard and others in the United Kingdom, bringing together people from all walks of life, drawing on the latest scientific research, to take practical action in their communities to improve wellbeing.
American College of Lifestyle Medicine – Meaning, Purpose and Spirituality in Lifestyle Medicine Clinical Toolkit (https://www.ardmoreinstituteofhealth.org/resource-hub/aclm-supplement-and-toolkit-meaning-purpose-and-spirituality-in-lifestyle-medicine), a toolkit developed as a product of the Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality in Lifetsyle Medicine Summit with practical tips and resources for health professionals to integrate the element of meaning, purpose and spirituality into their clinical care.
Center for Positive Health Sciences (https://wwww.rcsi.com/dublin/about/faculty-0f-medicine-and-health-sceinces/centre-for-positive-health-sciences), academic center providing positive health education to health professional trainees and practitioners, including positive health coaching, applied positive psychology wellbeing and health, leading workforce health and wellbeing, and lifestyle medicine)
Harvard Center for Health and Happiness (https://www.hsps.harvard.edu/health-happiness), conducts research on a variety of topics related to PP and wellbeing, such as the impact of positive emotions, forgiveness, optimism, green space, and technology on health and wellbeing.
Journals
The Journal of Positive Psychology—peer reviewed journal covering positive psychology, optimism, resilience; aims to further research and promote good practice: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rpos20/current.
Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing—peer reviewed academic journal that provides an interdisciplinary and international forum for the science of PP and wellbeing: https://www.journalppw.com/index.php/JPPW.
Journal of Happiness Studies—peer reviewed interdisciplinary scientific journal covering the study of happiness and wellbeing: https://link.springer.com/journal/10902.
