The Effect of Positive Psychology on Enhancing Subjective Well-Being (Subjective Happiness/Life Satisfaction) in an Orphaned Adolescent Diagnosed with Comorbid Depression and Anxiety Disorders: A Case Report

Solmaz Saeidi Haghi

Authors

Solmaz Saeidi Haghi PhD Candidate, Department of Educational Psychology and Educational Sciences, Aras International Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2915-5209

Keywords:

positive psychology, subjective well-being, depression, anxiety, orphaned adolescent

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of positive psychology on enhancing subjective well-being (subjective happiness/life satisfaction) in an orphaned adolescent diagnosed with comorbid depression and anxiety disorders.

Methods and Materials: The present study was a case report employing a single-subject design with three baseline assessments and a follow-up period. It examined the effects of seven sessions of a manualized positive psychology intervention (one 60-minute session per week) on reducing depression and anxiety and enhancing subjective well-being in a 15-year-old orphaned adolescent boy diagnosed with comorbid depression and anxiety disorders. The Depression-Anxiety Scale (DA-14) and the Subjective Well-Being Scale were used in the present study. The adolescent completed these measures before the intervention, after the seven positive psychology sessions, and one month after completion of the intervention.

Findings: The results indicated that following the initiation of the intervention, the adolescent boy demonstrated a decreasing and improving trend in depression (39.58% reduction) and anxiety (37.25% reduction) scores, as well as an increasing and improving trend in the total subjective well-being score (68%) and its dimensions, including subjective happiness (68.57%) and life satisfaction (67.50%). These improvements were maintained at the one-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, positive psychology may constitute an appropriate and effective intervention for enhancing subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being among orphaned adolescents with comorbid psychological disorders.

Keywords: positive psychology, subjective well-being, depression, anxiety, orphaned adolescent.

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