Promoting Well-Being in a Clinical Sample of Young Adults with Paranoid Tendencies: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Abstract

Early adulthood is a critical transitional period, when the individual faces many challenges related to their development as a fully autonomous individual. However, it can also be an important period for developing resilience, positive interpersonal and behavioral patterns, especially for people who have difficulty trusting others. Thus, the early introduction of positive resources and practices can have both immediate and prophylactic effects for young adults. This is randomized control study aimed to examine the efficacy of a theory-driven, multi-component, positive psychology group intervention to improve well-being in a clinical sample of 77 young adults with paranoid tendencies compared to a waiting-list group. Results showed that the intervention protocol was highly acceptable for participants, with high participant satisfaction, attendance, and adherence rates. At the end of the group therapy, mixed-effect models for repeated measures reflected that the participants had a significant improvement in some of the primary well-being outcomes with medium and large effect sizes (ranging 0.57–0.89). These changes were maintained in the follow-up assessment after 3 and 6 months. The results of this randomized control trial provide further evidence that a positive psychology approach can help promote eudemonic well-being and self-esteem for young people seeking psychotherapy in a University Psychology Clinic.