Abstract
Positive Psychology encompasses the study of human potential and virtues, including the healthy functioning of people. The objective of this literature review was to assess the effectiveness of interventions based on the constructs spirituality, happiness, optimism, and hope concerning the rehabilitation of adults and elderly. The search resulted in 245 studies. Of all articles identified, only 10 met the inclusion criteria. There were more studies addressing hope and spirituality and samples composed predominantly of women. The results showed significantly better quality of life in individuals with higher levels of hope or spirituality and revealed initial evidence of better response to treatments associated with the strengthening of healthy and positive aspects. It was found that there are few controlled trials on this topic due to the fact that Positive Psychology is a growing area of study, and therefore more research is essential in order to achieve consistent results and confirm the evidence presented in this study.
Keywords:
Hope; Spirituality; Happiness; Optimism; Rehabilitation
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