A qualitative study exploring psychotherapy recipients’ perspectives on positive mental health

Traditionally, psychotherapy aims to address distressing emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in individuals, but it can also foster positive mental health (PMH) and earlier recovery by including salutogenic approaches in clinical practice. This study aimed to understand psychotherapy recipients’ perspectives on the meaning of PMH and how therapy could help them achieve it. A qualitative study was conducted among fifteen psychotherapy recipients seeking care at a mental health institute in Singapore. Their experiences were explored through semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Six themes on the meaning of PMH emerged – (i) acceptance of themselves and their emotions; (ii) positivity, which related to having a positive and optimistic outlook in different situations; (iii) resilience to bounce back from problems using healthy coping mechanisms; (iv) purpose in life which meant envisioning personal goals and working towards these; (v) social participation referred to having compassion, openness, and social skills to build supportive relationships; and (vi) euthymia represented being in a state without depression or anxiety and having better symptom management. Participants also narrated the ways in which psychotherapy had helped / can help them achieve their PMH goals. In this study, individuals receiving psychotherapy identified six key aspects of PMH as being relevant to them. By recognizing these unique perspectives around PMH, integrative and complementary therapy approaches can be designed to benefit people with mental health problems more effectively.