A Positive Psychology Framework for Chronic Physical Illness

Positive health is an emerging area of investigation which focuses on achieving optimal health. In this endeavor, psychologists have administered positive psychology interventions on patients suffering from chronic physical diseases with the aim of improving overall health and well-being. This paper introduces a theoretical framework that presents how positive psychology interventions can increase health and well-being by affecting physical and psychological factors. The framework, based on the information gathered from a systematic review conducted previously by the authors is a comprehensive approach. It describes the moderators, mediatorsand outcomes of positive psychology interventions in the area of chronic physical illnesses. Other than variables related to the patient, this framework also introduces the factor of community level influences. Additionally, since this framework addresses a wide range of variables, it can be used as a check list like the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) by future researchers; this will help to maintain consistency across studies while reporting findings. Finally, it is hoped that this framework will promote positive interventions by researchers and practitioners in chronic health related areas at the grass root levels, which will finally contribute to the formation of a positively oriented communit