UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Applying Positive Psychology Principles to Soccer Interventions for People with Mental Health Difficulties

Friedrich, B; Mason, O; (2018) Applying Positive Psychology Principles to Soccer Interventions for People with Mental Health Difficulties. Psychology , 9 pp. 372-384. 10.4236/psych.2018.93023. Green open access

[thumbnail of Applying Positive Psychology Principles to Soccer Interventions for People with Mental Health Difficulties - PSYCH_2018032715404307.pdf]
Preview
Text
Applying Positive Psychology Principles to Soccer Interventions for People with Mental Health Difficulties - PSYCH_2018032715404307.pdf - Published Version

Download (580kB) | Preview

Abstract

Adjunct exercise interventions for people with mental health difficulties have been shown to improve well-being while also increasing physical and social health. Soccer as a team sport is a particularly apt form of group-based exercise as it fosters social inclusion and communication skills potentially also across cultural and socio-economic barriers. We discuss how some exercise interventions such as those using soccer are potentially well-aligned with concepts from Positive Psychology such as Seligman’s five elements (PERMA) that determine “Eudaimonia” (a good life): Positive emotions (P), Engagement and Flow (E), Positive Relationships (R), Meaning (M), and Accomplishment (A). In the present study the perceived life improvements reported by participants of a London-based soccer intervention “Coping Through Football” (CTF) are analysed for content using these five elements. All but Meaning (M) could be identified clearly; Positive Relationship (R) and Accomplishment (A) were the most commonly reported components. The PERMA model offers a potentially highly relevant framework to measure changes in well-being in participants of adjunct physical exercise treatments in mental health. Further quantitative and qualitative evaluation using the PERMA categories has the clear potential to inform policy and funding decisions in the growing area of psychosocial interventions in public mental health.

Type: Article
Title: Applying Positive Psychology Principles to Soccer Interventions for People with Mental Health Difficulties
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.4236/psych.2018.93023
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2018.93023
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Football, Soccer, Mental Health, Positive Psychology, Exercise
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Health Informatics
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10046037
Downloads since deposit
714Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item