Quality Assurance and Effectiveness Study of Positive Psychotherapy *

Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) is a form of short-term psychotherapy based on transcultural psychology and is currently applied in 15 countries. First results of a German PPT effectiveness study are discussed here. In a longitudinal study, patients treated with PPT showed a distinct reduction of symptoms as well as an improved way of feeling and behaving when compared to a control group where no significant changes were observed. An additional cross-sectional comparison between the postmeasures of the longitudinally assessed PPT patients and different groups of other follow-up assessed patients (up to 5 years after finishing therapy) revealed no significant differences. This finding is viewed as an indication of the lasting stability of the therapeutic effects of PPT.