offered a roundtable (variation) 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

Mindfulness Based Flourishing Program: A Mutually Enhancing Fusion Of Positive Psychology And Mindfulness (#369)

Tarli Young 1
  1. The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QUEENSLAND, Australia

While there is a wonderful array of mindfulness programs which successfully target psychological distress, few mindfulness interventions focus on the positive variables which are an integral part of complete mental health. Mindfulness includes positive mental states and these can be harnessed in cooperation with positive psychology. The Mindfulness Based Flourishing Program (MBFP) combines mindfulness and positive psychology approaches to increase wellbeing. To date it has been tested with over 500 participants through multiple randomised control trials with a wide range of participants from different cultures and samples. Studies indicate the MBFP facilitates significant improvements in wellbeing, mindfulness, gratitude, self-compassion, autonomy, self-efficacy, meaning, and compassion, and decreased depression and perceived stress. Benefits have been maintained and even increased at follow up. In a recent study, the MBFP was as effective as an intensive Resilience Skills Training based on the PERMA+ model. The MBFP is based on the ‘positive mindfulness cycle’ whereby PPIs of each session shape the intention for the mindfulness practice while mindfulness in turn supports the use of PPIs through the process of savouring. Thus, positive psychology approaches and mindfulness mutually enhance each other, until they contribute more than the individual practices.