| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Intervention | Effect Size | Evidence | Time efficiency | |||||||||||||||
2 | Hedge's g | Top study | Number of meta-analyses reviewed | Number of studies included in the meta-analyses | Number of participants | Percentage of meta-analyses with a significant (positive) result | Consistency of findings | Rough estimation of the ranges of duration for the intervention in total | "Time efficiency score" (middle range of the time estimation divided by effect size): the lower the better | Our rough judgement | |||||||||
3 | Most promising interventions with the strongest evidence base | ||||||||||||||||||
4 | Mindfulness/Meditation interventions | Practicing meditation regularly, using techniques such as body scan and diaphragmatic breathing | Small | 0.39 | Galante et al. (2021) | 9 | 124 | > 7,819 | 89% | Low. Range in effect size from 0 to 0.86 (=0.86) | 4 to 65 hours | 88 | Moderate. | ||||||
5 | Best Possible Self | Imagining and writing about your life and the best version of yourself in the future after everything has gone as well as it possibly could | Small | 0.35 | Heekerens and Eid (2021) | 6 | 149 | > 12,502 | 83% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0.21 to 0.51 (=0.30) | 1 to 14 hours | 23 | High. | ||||||
6 | Compassion interventions (including self-compassion and loving-kindness meditation) | Following practices aimed at increasing compassionate attitudes towards others and yourself, like compassion-focused therapy or loving-kindness meditation | Small | 0.35 | Kirby et al. (2017) | 6 | 65 | > 3,948 | 67% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0.19 to 0.51 (=0.32) | 20 min to 20 hours | 36 | High. | ||||||
7 | Physical activity | Doing some exercise, whatever the type or intensity | Small | 0.31 | Buecker et al. (2020) | 5 | 222 | > 527,314 | 60% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0.19 to 0.58 (=0.39) | 5 to 130 hours | 186 | Low. | ||||||
8 | Multi-component Positive Psychology Interventions (MPPIs) (in general) | Following a combined package of a variety of positive psychology exercises like using strengths, practicing gratitude, active constructive response, counting blessings or savoring, often conducted within an integral program | Small | 0.30 | Hendriks et al. (2020) | 3 | 109 | > 12,412 | 100% | High. Range in effect size from 0.24 to 0.34 (=0.10) | 2 to 36 hours | 63 | Moderate. | ||||||
9 | Promising interventions with the strongest evidence base but a smaller effect size | ||||||||||||||||||
10 | Using character strengths | Identifying positive qualities through a self-report survey and using them in your daily life for a period of time | Small | 0.29 | Carr et al. (2021) | 3 | 32 | > 2,179 | 100% | High. Range in effect size from 0.25 to 0.42 (=0.17) | 2 to 52 hours | 34 | High. | ||||||
11 | Acts of kindness | Performing small actions embodying a kind behavior to help other people, or spending money on others | Small | 0.26 | Curry et al. (2018) | 3 | 47 | > 4,841 | 100% | Very high. Range in effect size from 0.23 to 0.28 (=0.05) | About 3 hours | 12 | High. | ||||||
12 | Gratitude | Engaging in brief activities designed to cultivate a sense of gratefulness, such as daily writing of things for which you are grateful, or expressing gratitude through a letter to someone who has been helpful to you | Small | 0.22 | Dickens (2017) | 5 | 144 | > 7,571 | 80% | Moderate. Range in effect size from -0.05 to 0.30 (=0.35) | 2 to 24 hours | 57 | Moderate. | ||||||
13 | Singular Positive Psychology Interventions (in general) | Practicing an individual exercise from positive psychology, such as doing a best possible self exercise, practicing gratitude, doing acts of kindness, using your strengths in a new way or savoring the moment | Small | 0.20 | Koydemir et al. (2021) | 3 | 128 | > 13,610 | 100% | Very high. Range in effect size from 0.14 to 0.22 (=0.08) | 2 to 24 hours | 65 | Moderate. | ||||||
14 | Acceptance and Commitement Therapy (ACT) | Following an intervention based on ACT principles. ACT interventions seek to increase psychological flexibility (defined as the ability to face challenging experiences in an open, conscious manner and change one’s behaviors to participate in valued activities) through acceptance of difficult and unwelcome thoughts or emotions and a commitment to one’s personal values. For instance they use techniques like mindfulness or exposure exercises to develop cognitive defusion skills | Small | 0.20 | van Agteren et al. (2021) | 6 | 39 | > 1,758 | 50% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0 to 0.44 (=0.44) | 6 to 36 hours | 175 | Low. | ||||||
15 | Cognitive therapy or CBT interventions | Following an intervention or program (including in a book or online program format), typically over multiple sessions, using a cognitive and/or behavioral approach. They generally focus on identifying and disputing maladaptive thinking patterns, and developing coping, emotional regulation, problem solving and goal setting skills | Very small | 0.19 | van Agteren et al. (2021) | 2 | 18 | > 4,156 | 100% | Very high. Range in effect size from 0.16 to 0.22 (=0.06) | 14 to 26 hours | 105 | Low. | ||||||
16 | Most promising interventions with a weaker evidence base | ||||||||||||||||||
17 | Leisure | Improving your leisure engagement, i.e. the participation in satisfying leisure activities such as social activities, sports, games, or cultural experiences | Large | 1.02 | Kuykendall et al. (2015) | 1 | 6 | 325 | 100% | Only one effect size | About 104 hours | 102 | Low. | ||||||
18 | Sleep | Following an intervention aimed at improving sleep quality (i.e. continuity and daytime impact) such as CBTi | Medium | 0.54 | Scott et al. (2021) | 2 | 70 | 8,717 | 100% | High. Range in effect size from 0.53 to 0.63 (=0.10) | 12 minutes to 7 hours | 7 | High. | ||||||
19 | Contact with natural environment (or nature connectedness) | Spending some time in a natural environnement (whether "wild" or "manicured" nature such as parks), like talking a walk or looking at the landscape, or even viewing nature photographs | Medium | 0.50 | McMahan and Estes (2015) | 3 | 61 | 10,389 | 100% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0.35 to 0.65 (=0.30) | 15 to 60 minutes for experimental designs | - | Probably high. | ||||||
20 | Yoga | Practicing yoga a few times per week, whatever the type | Small | 0.46 | Hendriks et al. (2017) | 3 | 21 | 1,201 | 67% | High. Range in effect size from 0.38 to 0.62 (=0.24) | 30 minutes to 60 hours | 72 | Moderate. | ||||||
21 | Expressive writing | Completing a brief written emotional expression task over a period of time, like writing an essay that expresses your feeling about a negative, stressful or traumatic experience in your life, and that focuses on how the event related to your life, what coping methods you used and whether these were successful | Small | 0.45 | van Agteren et al. (2021) | 2 | 18 | > 1,913 | 50% | Moderate. Range in effect size from 0.24 to 0.66 (=0.42) | 20 to 80 minutes | 3 | High. | ||||||
22 | Promising interventions with a weaker evidence base and a smaller effect size | ||||||||||||||||||
23 | Forgiveness interventions | Following a multi-session forgiveness program, in which the potential benefits of forgiveness are emphasized, the development of empathy for the offender is encouraged, and in which emotional regulation, cognitive and behavioral strategies are used to decrease the negative impact of the hurtful interpersonal experience on your life | Small | 0.38 | Akhtar and Barlow (2018) | 2 | 11 | > 318 | 50% | High. Range in effect size from 0.29 to 0.48 (=0.19) | 2 to 24 hours | 81 | Moderate. | ||||||
24 | Reminiscence interventions | Reviewing past life experiences, like difficult events or positive memories, notably as part of life review therapy | Small | 0.24 | Pinquart and Forstmeier (2012) | 2 | 67 | > 1,083 | 100% | Very high. Range in effect size from 0.22 to 0.31 (=0.09) | About 20 hours | 83 | Moderate. | ||||||
25 | Pleasurable experiences | Inducing pleasure by writing about three things found pleasurable each day for e.g. one week. This may include things that made you feel happy, experience positive emotions, laugh or feel joy and satisfaction | Very small | 0.17 | van Agteren et al. (2021) | 1 | 6 | 1,095 | 100% | Only one effect size | About 1 hour | 6 | High. | ||||||
26 | Intervention with no significant effect found | ||||||||||||||||||
27 | Three good things | Writing and thinking about three things that went well over a period (typically reflecting back on the same day) and reflecting on why those things occurred, repeating this task for a number of days, like a week | Very small | 0.14 | van Agteren et al. (2021) | 1 | 10 | 890 | 0% | Only one effect size | About 1 hour | - | - | ||||||
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