A Multidimensional Assessment of Positive Psychology Interventions for Enhancing Mental Health and Reducing Psychological Distress among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Undergraduate students experience substantial psychological challenges during their academic journey due to increasing academic workload, career uncertainty, financial concerns, social adjustment, and interpersonal pressures. These stressors contribute to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and reduced psychological well-being. Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs), grounded in the principles of positive psychology, emphasize the cultivation of positive emotions, personal strengths, resilience, gratitude, optimism, mindfulness, and meaningful engagement. Recent evidence suggests that PPIs may serve as effective, low-cost, and non-pharmacological strategies for promoting mental health in higher education settings. However, comprehensive multidimensional evaluations of their effectiveness among undergraduate students remain limited. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a structured Positive Psychology Intervention program in enhancing mental health while reducing psychological distress among undergraduate students. Specifically, the study investigates the intervention's influence on stress, depression, anger, resilience, optimism, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and overall psychological well-being.A quantitative, quasi-experimental research design is proposed involving approximately 350 undergraduate students recruited from different academic disciplines. Participants will be allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention will be conducted over eight weeks and will include gratitude exercises, mindfulness practices, strengths identification, positive journaling, self-compassion training, acts of kindness, goal-setting activities, and resilience-building exercises. Standardized psychological instruments such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and State–Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2) will be administered before and after the intervention. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, repeated-measures ANOVA, multiple regression, mediation analysis, and structural equation modeling. The intervention is expected to significantly reduce stress, depression, anger, and overall psychological distress while improving resilience, optimism, emotional regulation, self-esteem, positive affect, and psychological well-being. It is further anticipated that resilience and emotional regulation will partially mediate the relationship between positive psychology interventions and mental health outcomes. This study proposes a comprehensive multidimensional framework demonstrating that Positive Psychology Interventions can effectively promote mental health among undergraduate students. The findings are expected to contribute to psychological theory, evidence-based counseling practice, and university mental health policy by providing an integrative intervention model suitable for higher education institutions. The study also offers practical recommendations for incorporating positive psychology into student counseling services and preventive mental health programs.