Article

The field of positive psychology has grown exponentially within the
last decade. To date, however, there have been few empirical initiatives to
clarify the constructs within positive psychology as they relate to
rehabilitation medicine. Character strengths, and in particular resilience,
following neurological trauma are clinically observable within rehabilitation
settings, and greater knowledge of the way in which these factors relate to
treatment variables may allow for enhanced treatment conceptualization and
planning. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore the relationships
between positive psychology constructs (character strengths, resilience, and
positive mood) and rehabilitation-related variables (perceptions of functional
ability post-injury and beliefs about treatment) within a baseline data set, a
six-month follow-up data set, and longitudinally across time points. METHODS:
Pearson correlations and supplementary multiple regression analyses were
conducted within and across these time points from a starting sample of
thirty-nine individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) in an outpatient
rehabilitation program. RESULTS: Positive psychology constructs were related to
rehabilitation-related variables within the baseline data set, within the
follow-up data set, and longitudinally between baseline positive psychology
variables and follow-up rehabilitation-related data. CONCLUSIONS: These
preliminary findings support relationships between character strengths,
resilience, and positive mood states with perceptions of functional ability and
expectations of treatment, respectively, which are primary factors in treatment
success and quality of life outcomes in rehabilitation medicine settings. The
results suggest the need for more research in this area, with an ultimate goal of
incorporating positive psychology constructs into rehabilitation
conceptualization and treatment planning.

Langue : ANGLAIS