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The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the values in action (VIA) character strengths model can be applied as a resource to support people in addiction recovery. The purpose of this is to appreciate the positive outcomes seen in other areas of research, applied to addiction recovery. To achieve this, a character strengths intervention has been designed and delivered as a case study. The objective of the intervention is to identify some of the strengths described by an individual in their account of recovery, ascertain their signature strengths through validated assessment and, based on the exploration of this information, support the individual in a reflective exercise to consider how their character strengths have positively affected their recovery to date and the effect this new knowledge could have on their ongoing recovery.

The VIA character strengths model has identified 24 positive qualities that are present in the human condition. In this case study, the VIA model is used to identify strengths from a first-hand account of the recovery process; the VIA character strengths survey is used to ascertain the signature strengths of the participant who is also the author of the account. Information from the strengths identification and VIA survey is explored, and a follow-up e-interview is conducted using questions designed to encourage the participant to reflect on the use of strengths in their present and ongoing recovery.

This case study shows that the VIA model of character strengths can be applied in addiction recovery to help people appreciate how they have used their character strengths in the recovery process, what their signature strengths are and how they can be used with good effect to improve their well-being and future recovery.

In this work, a new broad-spectrum approach using the VIA model of character strengths has been proposed to help people in addiction recovery use their own resources to improve their function, well-being and thus recovery.

This paper aims to examine how character strengths have an important dual role in mental health in both promoting well-being and mental wellness and also in reducing symptoms and suffering. While there are many studies that have touched upon variables that character strengths can enhance for mental well-being or reduce for suffering, the author actually knows very little about how character strengths might relate to or impact mental health.

A large-scale study of 12,050 individuals was conducted to explore the self-perceived character strengths that are most helpful for mental health, for handling physical adversity, for handling social adversity and for fostering psychological well-being.

Some character strengths showed a general effect – showing a strong perceived impact across multiple domains – such as love, perspective, kindness, hope, humor and curiosity. Other character strengths showed a specific effect in that there was a strong perceived impact in one domain, such as perseverance and self-regulation for physical health, spirituality and social intelligence for social health and creativity for mental health. A strength-based approach to understanding and managing emotions was substantially more preferred than cognitive or behavioral approaches. Other findings examined the character strengths most desired to be improved upon for mental health.

The research strategy was cross-sectional, thereby causality cannot be determined. Because of the large sample size, researchers are encouraged to consider examining the findings in intervention studies.

This study indicates that character strengths are highly relevant for mental health, all 24 character strengths are possible pathways to impact mental health (some more than others) and individuals can readily connect ways they can use their character strengths to positively improve their well-being and manage their suffering.

Character strengths and their substantial positive potential provide an avenue for public impact on a large scale.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first known study to directly examine multiple intersections among mental health and character strengths in a large sample.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Values in Action (VIA) character strengths profile of people in addiction recovery, to identify which strengths are meaningfully represented in this population. This was compared with the generalised profile of a normative population to identify the differentiating features. Reasons for the profile variance and the significance this has for addiction recovery have also been explored.

An independent group design was adopted using purposive sampling. This saw participants (n = 100) complete the VIA Inventory of Strengths-P assessment to establish a character strengths profile for people in addiction recovery. To identify the differences in this profile, a mean score and rank order comparison was conducted, using data taken from a normative population. Additional exploratory analysis was conducted to establish if there were any significant differences in the character strength profile of males and females.

In descending order, the top five ranked strengths were kindness, humour, honesty, fairness and teamwork. The lesser five strengths in the profile were spirituality, zest, perseverance, prudence and self-regulation. A distinguishing feature was the presence of humour as a top five strength for people in addiction recovery. The existence of teamwork also deviated from the generalised normative population. There were two strengths shown to have a meaningfully higher score for females, teamwork and love. This did not change the strengths present in the overall top five for males or females, however.

This study contributes useful knowledge to the understanding of character strengths in addiction recovery. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time character strengths have been examined in a sample of people in addiction recovery.

Nursing students encounter a combination of academic rigor, clinical demands and emotional hurdles. Juggling coursework, practical training and patient interaction can be stressful, and exposure to such situations may impact their psychological well-being. This study aims to highlight the top strengths among nursing students and identify the strengths associated with well-being.

Convenience sampling was used to select a sample of 150 nursing students studying in first, second and third year from colleges of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Students were administered the Values In Action character strengths inventory, the satisfaction with life scale and scale of positive and negative experience. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation.

Results show that among nursing students, kindness emerged as the foremost strength with the highest mean, followed by honesty, creativity, spirituality and teamwork, and the strengths of curiosity, gratitude, perseverance, self-regulation, social intelligence, and zest were positively associated with life satisfaction and positive emotions and negatively related to negative emotions.

The small sample size was a limitation; however, this study has been conducted at different locations to improve generalizability.

This study has profound implications for nursing students, both in their personal development and their future roles as health-care professionals, as fostering these attributes can contribute to the students’ growth, well-being and effectiveness as compassionate and competent caregivers. Working on strengths is associated with well-being; therefore, using strengths identified by this study will have a beneficial effect on the students’ well-being.

Curiosity and social intelligence, for instance, can help nurses better understand patient needs and emotions, developing strengths like perseverance and self-regulation can equip nursing students with tools to cope effectively with the challenges inherent in health-care settings. Traits such as gratitude and social intelligence can enhance communication and empathy which are vital skills for establishing rapport with patients and their families. Emphasizing teamwork as a strength aligns with the collaborative nature of health care. By embodying values like kindness and spirituality, nursing students can create a more compassionate and meaningful experience for patients, as well as themselves.

The research paper identifies and emphasizes the five character strengths that are most commonly observed in a sample of Indian nursing students. In addition, this study delves deeper into these identified strengths to understand how they relate to the overall well-being of nursing students within this specific population. The existing literature has not explored it exhaustively.

The purpose of this study was to examine how well a strength-based program grounded in positive psychology principles can advance the practical critical thinking skills of those pursuing the teacher training course.

This study used a single-group pre-test post-test design with 35 teacher-trainees from the Bachelor of Education course. The two-and-a-half-week strength-based program used the values in action survey to identify strengths. Pre- and post-test scores, measured with the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z, underwent Statistical Package for Social Sciences analysis including paired samples t-test for subcomponent and overall composite analysis.

Analysis of the pre- and post-test scores demonstrated a statistical significance in the critical thinking scores obtained by the teacher-trainees. Post-test scores were consistently significant. Out of the elements of critical thinking, induction, meaning, observation and credibility were more prominent. Deduction and assumption identification were also having a significant effect.

Most critical thinking programs focus on evaluating specific teaching methods for improving critical thinking skills. In education, positive psychology studies often center on students’ well-being, attention spans and academic success, aligning with wellness programs. Despite the importance of strengths in positive psychology, there is a lack of research on using a strength-based approach to boost critical thinking skills. This study aims to enhance teacher-trainees’ critical thinking by leveraging their individual strengths, moving away from traditional instructional strategies.

In this study, the authors consider the mediating role of psychological capital (i.e. PsyCap) in the relationship between integrity and academic performance. Specifically, the authors propose that integrity is a relatively stable and distal character strength that is likely to have a minimal direct effect on academic performance. Going further, the authors argue that integrity is more likely to have an indirect effect on academic performance via the psychological resources that encompass one's PsyCap.

Drawing from a sample of 179 undergraduate business students and student grade point average (GPA) data, the authors find support for the notion that PsyCap partially mediates the relationship between integrity and academic performance.

These findings reveal the key role that PsyCap plays in translating a student's integrity toward behaviors that lead to higher levels of academic performance.

Prior research suggests the direct relationship between integrity and academic performance has been mixed. In this study, the authors consider how mediation may help explain this relationship. The authors believe this to be among the first empirical studies to consider integrity, PsyCap and academic performance.

This paper aims to offer a roadmap for a strengths-based approach to leadership.

A review and synthesis of various concepts relating to strengths in the workplace.

A strengths-based approach to leadership can lead to many positive outcomes, including increased employee engagement, productivity, satisfaction, performance and a more positive work environment.

This is a synthesis of a variety of ideas about how to lead with strengths and the positive implications of a strengths-oriented workplace culture.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery and well-being of people in early addiction recovery. The programme, known as positive addiction recovery therapy (PART), is attentive to the recovery process through the G-CHIME (growth, connectedness, hope, identity, meaning in life and empowerment) model of addiction recovery. It also uses the values in action character strengths and includes a set of relapse prevention techniques.

An experimental design using repeated measures has been adopted. Measures for recovery capital, well-being and level of flourishing were selected and pre- and post-data collected. Primary data analysis was conducted using the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Participants (n = 30) were required to be in early addiction recovery, classified as having been abstinent for between three and six months.

The results showed a statistically significant improvement in participant well-being. This was also true for recovery capital and flourishing. Whilst a meaningful increase was seen in all measures, exploratory analysis found females responded better to the PART programme.

This study emphasises the importance of adopting a holistic therapeutic approach, one that considers multifaceted components of recovery such as those outlined in the G-CHIME model.

This study evaluates a new programme of work designed to improve the recovery outcome and mental well-being of people who are in early addiction recovery.