Positive psychology for overcoming symptoms of depression: A pilot study exploring the efficacy of a positive psychology self-help book versus a CBT self-help book

Background: Depression is an extremely common mental health disorder, with prevalence rates rising. Low-intensity interventions are frequently used to help meet the demand for treatment. Bibliotherapy, for example, is often prescribed via books on prescription schemes (for example ‘Reading Well’ in England) to those with mild-to-moderate symptomology. Bibliotherapy can effectively reduce symptoms of depression (Naylor et al., 2010). However, the majority of self-help books are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which may not be suitable for all patients. Research supports the use of positive psychology interventions for the reduction of depression symptoms (Bolier et al., 2013) and as such self-help books from this perspective should be empirically tested. Aims: This study aimed to test the efficacy of ‘Positive Psychology for Overcoming Depression’ (Akhtar, 2012), a self-help book for depression that is based on the principles of positive psychology, in comparison to a CBT self-help book that is currently prescribed in England as part of the Reading Well books on prescription scheme. Method: Participants (N = 115) who were not receiving treatment, but had symptoms of depression, read the positive psychology or the CBT self-help book for 8- weeks. Depression and well-being were measured at baseline, post-test, and one-month follow-up. Results: Results suggest that both groups experienced a reduction in depression and an increase in well-being, with no differences noted between the two books. Conclusions: Future directions are discussed in terms of dissemination, to those with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, via books on prescription schemes.