The Integrative Positive Psychological Intervention for Depression (IPPI-D)

Despite the variety of empirically supported treatments for depression, many available evidence-based treatments do not satisfactorily promote or maintain clinically significant changes in patients. Moreover, treatments for depression have been primarily focused on reducing patients’ symptoms or deficits and less concerned with building positive resources that seem to be of interest to depressed individuals. This paper describes a manualized protocol of a new empirically-validated positive psychological intervention for depression, the Integrative Positive Psychological Intervention for Depression, which incorporates a balance between hedonic and eudaimonic components and a combination of in-session exercises and homework. The protocol is a 10-session program, in a group format, and includes interventions that have been shown to be effective in increasing well-being or alleviating depressive symptoms. The rationale for developing this protocol, the underlying theoretical framework and some general guidelines for its application are presented. Furthermore, the implications of this protocol are discussed, demonstrating how it may help to overcome some of the limitations of current, evidence-based psychological treatments for depression.