Adding science to the mix of business and pleasure: an exploratory study of positive psychology interventions with teachers accessing employee assistance counselling

Abstract

This research project explores whether the delivery of positive psychology interventions in the workplace through an employee assistance program (EAP) can improve employees’ authentic happiness/flourishing as well as decrease symptoms of depression. A small convenience sample of 13 Manitoba public school educators accessing employee assistance were recruited for a quasi-experimental research design. Nine participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the remaining participants assigned to the control. Experimental group members participated in a six session psychoeducational, experiential, and process-oriented positive psychotherapy group that met once a week over six weeks. Experimental group participants’ scores on the authentic happiness/flourishing measure increased by a statistically significant 9% and depression scores decreased by a statistically significant 45% from pre-intervention to one month post-intervention. The study’s findings therefore provide promising confirmation that positive psychology interventions delivered through EAPs can make a meaningful difference as both secondary prevention and primary enhancement strategies in the workplace.