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The purpose of this article is to meet Professor Paul T.P. Wong, PhD, CPscyh, who is based at the Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Wong represents an interesting case of how a racial/cultural minority could achieve success in a hostile environment consisting of the systemic biases of injustice, discrimination and marginalization. His life also epitomizes how one can experience the paradoxical truth of healing and flourishing in an upside-down world through the positive suffering mindset (PSM).

This case study is presented in two sections: a positive autoethnography written by Wong, followed by his answers to ten questions. The core methodology of positive autoethnography allows people to understand how Wong’s life experience of being a war baby in China, a constant outsider and a lone voice in Western culture, has shaped a very different vision of meaning, positive mental health and global flourishing.

Wong reveals how to live a life of meaning and happiness for all the suffering people in a difficult world. He has researched the positive psychology of suffering for 60 years, from effective coping with stress and searching for meaning to successful aging and positive death. According to Wong’s suffering hypothesis and the emerging paradigm of existential positive psychology (Wong, 2021), cultivating a PSM is essential for healing and flourishing in all seasons of life.

An expanding literature has been developed to illustrate why the missing link in well-being research is how to transcend and transform suffering into triumph. Wong reveals how this emerging area of research is still not fully embraced by mainstream psychology dominated by the individualistic Euro-American culture, and thus why, in an adversarial milieu, existential positive psychology is limited by its inability to attract more researchers to test out Wong’s suffering hypothesis.

The wisdom and helpful tools presented here may enable people to achieve mature happiness and existential well-being even when they have a very painful past, a very difficult present and a bleak future.

This autoethnographic case study offers new grounds for hope for all those who are injured by life, marginalized by systemic biases or tormented by chronic illnesses and disorders. It also provides a road map for a better world with more decent human beings who dare to stand up for justice, integrity and compassion.

Meaning as reflected in suffering is according to Wong the most powerful force to bring out either the worst or the best in people. The new science of suffering shows us how the authors can achieve positive transformation through cultivating a PSM, no matter how harsh one’s fate may be.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a 10-week positive psychology course on college student stress, anxiety, self-compassion, resilience and health behaviors.

This study implemented a 10-week positive psychology program that included ten one-week modules. Each module consisted of a reading on a given positive psychology topic, a guided learning slideshow, a video to reinforce topical understanding and individual reflection or application exercises. Participants completed pre and postintervention measures, including the perceived stress scale, generalized anxiety disorder-7, self-compassion scale, brief resilience scale and wellness behavior inventory.

A total of 48 students consented to participate in the study, of which 35 completed the 10-week positive psychology online intervention as well as the pre and postsurveys (27.1% attrition rate). There were no statistically significant differences between pre and postresponses for any of the outcome scales. However, there was a trend toward a decrease in perceived stress and generalized anxiety, as well as a trend toward an increase in self-compassion and health behaviors from pre to posttest.

The main limitation of this study was design and sample size. Although it was a pilot study, future research should consider a randomized control trial, including pre and postevaluation and blind comparison group. Finally, this intervention was only implemented in the online, asynchronous format. Future research might consider comparing face-to-face, asynchronous online and synchronous online modalities.

Future implementation should include a more rigorous design, such as a comparison group with randomization as well as a larger sample size.

Given the previous effectiveness of positive psychological interventions on health behaviors, continued research may use direct measures of health behavior engagement throughout the intervention (Biber and Ellis, 2019). This study provides other researchers and practitioners with a model for utilization with middle, high and university students.

This study used open-access content that was free of charge to students to promote positive mental health and health behavior change.

The purpose of this article is to garner insight into positive introversion, meaning experiences of introverted behaviour that may be perceived as positive and perform positive functions in one’s life. The subject is Mark Weeks, whose primary research has been in cultural studies and philosophy, particularly focusing on laughter and humour, during a career spent mostly at Nagoya University in Japan.

This case study uses positive autoethnography, a methodology that was co-conceived by Weeks. It includes a 10-question interview.

The authors learn how Weeks has positively embraced his introversion to negotiate challenges in his life, fostering resilience, gratitude and joyful experience. In the process, Weeks foregrounds the importance of solitary laughter and humour in his existential journey.

Introversion is often depicted negatively in the literature. Yet, much introversion is and can be developed as, positive.

The narrative shared here is one of trials, exploration and discovery, offering practical insight for introverts and those interested in understanding introverted behaviour in general.

Positively embracing aspects of introversion can be an important step for introverts in finding a healthy and enjoyable balance between the social and the solitary. Indeed, the same may apply to extraverts who fear being alone. Greater social recognition of valuable experiences within solitude could help to produce more tolerant and adaptable societies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an original article, narrated by a contributor to the development of positive autoethnography. It focuses on areas of personal experience that are often marginalized and poorly understood, including positive potentials of introversion and of solitary laughter.

In this introduction chapter, the authors first offer a brief overview of the theoretical underpinnings of the notion of wellbeing and flourishing from the positive organizational scholarship literature. The authors, then, provide an overview of the chapters in this handbook, guiding the readers through key aspects that each chapter contributes to the handbook’s collective perspective of efforts, initiatives, and programs that promote wellbeing in the higher education settings.

Our study aims to understand what is known about happiness at work (HAW) in terms of publication, citations, dimensions and characteristics, as well as how knowledge about HAW is generated regarding theoretical frameworks, context and methods. Additionally, it explores future directions for HAW research.

This paper conducts a systematic literature review of 56 empirical articles published between 2000 and 2022 to comprehensively explore HAW. It examines publication trends, citation patterns, dimensions, characteristics, theoretical frameworks, contextual factors and research methodologies employed in HAW studies.

Our findings suggest that while HAW research has gained momentum, there is still a need for exploration, particularly in developing countries. Various theoretical frameworks such as the job demand-resources model, social exchange theory and broaden-and-build theory are identified, with suggestions for the adoption of less popular theories like the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment (PERMA) model and flow theory for future investigations. The review contributes to workplace happiness literature by offering a comprehensive analysis spanning two decades and provides valuable insights for guiding future research toward exploring factors influencing employee well-being.

Our article offers a structured analysis of HAW literature, emphasizing the necessity for more extensive research, especially in developing nations. It provides valuable insights into the theories and dimensions associated with HAW, guiding future research and assisting organizations in formulating strategies to enhance employee happiness and overall well-being.

Education is widely recognized as a key domain for the promotion of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), prompting an increased focus on sustainable development in foreign language education. Despite increased attention, guidelines about SDGs are often primarily policy-based without concrete guidance, and the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) within higher education curricula has been slow. This paper aims to mitigate this gap by providing an outline for the curriculum development for three elective English courses integrating SDG themes.

The paper begins by introducing the SDGs, ESD and its application to language education. From there, this paper outlines three content and language integrated learning courses that integrate global issues into their curriculum. Finally, there is a discussion and consideration of various factors to consider when implementing global issues into an English language classroom.

Following practical examples of how to integrate global issues into an English language classroom, considerations such as socio-cultural context, teaching context and the expertise of the instructor are discussed.

This paper covers a variety of social topics related to sustainable development in addition to the often addressed environmental topics. Many guidelines about integrating SDGs into education are policy-based without concrete guidance, so this paper aims to provide practical examples and considerations.

The language of participative theatre can be considered immersive in the treatment of its dialectics where participants engage fully with their dichotomies and value systems through physical and psychological exploratory processes as they commit themselves to transformation.

The use of drama as an intervention for challenging recurring mental models of oppressive narratives is used extensively in experiential psychotherapy and as a socio-psychological integrative tool. This experiential methodology allows for an organic development and expression of themes and motifs by encouraging a participant to develop a deeper awareness of how he/she interprets their identity and that of the community in which they function.

This paper aims to review the implications of applying drama-based interventions as positive psychotherapeutic devices to facilitate self-reflection and active-constructive responding in enabling a rendering of positive patterns of thought and purposeful movement towards emotional and physical well-being.

Research on the principles of positive psychology suggests that positive emotions lead to therapeutic change. Nurturing positive emotions which are immanent in spirituality, creativity and optimistic perseverance through autonomy and self-regulation enable individual potential to come to meaningful fruition.

The paper conceptualizes psychodrama as a framing technique in enabling reflexive action in identity transformation and well-being.

Love of life (LOL) is a new construct in positive psychology. LOL is defined by a generally positive evaluation of one’s own life, positive regard towards life and a pleasurable attachment to life. The purpose of this study is that LOL is associated with quality of life (QOL) and could be predicted by some of its subscales.

A sample of Alexandria University undergraduates took part in this study (n = 298). They responded to the WHOQOL Brief and LOL scales.

Men obtained significantly higher mean total scores than did women for general health, and the physical and psychological domains of QOL. All the Pearson correlations between LOL and QOL were significant except for two correlations for women. The strongest correlation with LOL is for the psychological QOL domain. Principal components analysis extracted one component for men which was labeled “QOL and LOL.” For women, two components were extracted, which were labeled “QOL and LOL” and “General and physical health.” Predictors of LOL were psychological and social QOL domains (men), and psychological, social and environmental QOL domains (women). It was concluded that LOL is associated with QOL, in particular, the psychological subscale. Furthermore, LOL can predict QOL, in particular, the psychological and social domains.

This study used nonprobability sampling with a sample of students drawn from only one university. So, it may be difficult to generalize the findings.

LOL is a comparatively new concept in the field of positive psychology.

Positive aging aims to promote the physical health and psychological well-being of older adults for them to age successfully. Under the domain of positive aging, this study aims to explore the mediating role of self-compassion between forgiveness and psychological well-being in older adults.

It was based on a quantitative research design, with a sample of 250 individuals within the age group of 60–75 years. Data was collected using Self-compassion Scale (2003), Heartland Forgiveness Scale (2005) and Psychological Well-being Scale. Analysis was performed using Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, followed by the generalised linear model of mediation.

The results revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.001), high and positive correlation between self-compassion and forgiveness (r = 0.821), forgiveness and psychological well-being (r = 0.852) and self-compassion and psychological well-being (r = 0.802). Linear regression suggested that self-compassion and forgiveness are significant (p ≤ 0.001) predictors of psychological well-being, causing a variance of 75.6%. Mediation revealed significant (p ≤ 0.001) direct, indirect and total effect between the variables, showing that self-compassion partially mediates the relationship between forgiveness and psychological well-being.

The findings provide valuable insights on how fostering self-compassion along with forgiveness can improve psychological well-being among the elderly, however, research on additional variables, drawing comparisons between gender, economic status and clinical populations can be further explored. Nevertheless, this study can be used to develop interventions and therapeutic techniques to enhance self-compassion and forgiveness to improve psychological well-being among older adults.

As per the best knowledge of the researcher, this work is original as it is a primary research and no data has been collected of a similar nature from the participants.

This literature review aims to explore the various aspects of psychological capital (PsyCap), including its theoretical foundations, measurement methods, and the factors directly associated with PsyCap.

The approach employed in this study is scientific document synthesis, with a specific emphasis on scholarly articles published between 2001 and 2023. The selection of articles is limited to those published in internationally renowned journals that are indexed by reputable databases, including ISI (WoS) and SJR (Scopus).

Psychological capital is closely linked to other concepts at different levels. Scholars are investigating various factors associated with PsyCap, including health, project success, service marketing, banking services. It is important to note that different research areas have varying conceptualizations and scales when it comes to PsyCap.

This literature review of related studies reveals a growing global interest among researchers in the concept of positive psychological capital. The research results have shown significant interest in the items related to PsyCap, and and the factors directly associated with it, including antecedents, mediators, moderators, and outcomes.