SynthesisPloS one2019
Effects of the Best Possible Self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of savoring interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of identity-related interventions on physical activity- and smoking-related identities and behavior: a mixed-methods systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- A synthesis of RCTs on psychological interventions fostering strengths and virtues: Evidence from 21 systematic reviews.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- Positive changes in daily life? A meta-analysis of positive psychological ecological momentary interventions.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- Positive expressive writing interventions, subjective health and wellbeing in non-clinical populations: A systematic review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Writing about the future self to shift drinking identity: An experimental investigation.Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) · 2024Trial
- Network structure and mental health correlates of the Mount Sinai Resilience Scale.Journal of psychiatric research · 2026Article
- Beyond Emotion Regulation Difficulties: a Cross-National, Cross-Sectional Study of Strengths-Based Psychological Predictors of Self-Injury Among University Students.Prevention science : the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research · 2026Article
- Digitalization of Intervention Delivery and Its Impact on the Effects of Interventions for Mental Well-Being in Higher Education Students: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- State Optimism as a State-Dependent Prior About Rewarding Outcomes.Computational brain & behavior · 2026Article
- Participatory development and proof-of-concept of an intersectionality-informed art-based group intervention for BIPoC girls.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online transdiagnostic positive psychology intervention for patients awaiting mental health treatment and their loved ones: study protocol.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Protocol of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of an adapted future possible selves task on drinking identity and hazardous drinking in graduating high school students.BMC public health · 2025Article
- A web-based approach to adolescent mental health: Randomized controlled trial of a brief Positive Psychology intervention.Internet interventions · 2025Article
- Impact of resilience enhancement on communication apprehension among health communication sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic: an experimental study.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Impact of the best possible self intervention on affective well-being in early adolescence: A randomized controlled online trial.Internet interventions · 2025Article
- Article
- Trauma, identity and transition: evaluation of the RESLEAPS programme for retiring senior police officers.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Enhancing employee well-being through a culturally adapted training program: a mixed-methods study in South Africa.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Investigating the combined and unique contributions of positive psychological traits to sleep and exploring emotion regulation as a common mediator.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The Best Possible Self (BPS) exercise promotes a positive view of oneself in the best possible future, after working hard towards it. Since the first work that attempted to examine the benefits of this intervention in 2001, studies on the BPS have grown exponentially and, currently, this is one of the most widely used Positive Psychology Interventions. However, little is yet known about its overall effectiveness in increasing wellbeing outcomes. Thus, the aim of this meta-analysis is to shed light on this question. A systematic literature search was conducted, and 29 studies (in 26 articles) met the inclusion criteria of empirically testing the intervention and comparing it to a control condition. In addition, BPS was compared to gratitude interventions in some of the included studies. A total of 2,909 participants were involved in the analyses. The outcome measures were wellbeing, optimism, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative affect. Results showed that the BPS is an effective intervention to improve wellbeing (d+ = .325), optimism (d+ = .334) and positive affect (d+ = .511) comparing to controls. Small effect sizes were obtained for negative affect and depressive symptoms. Moderator analyses did not show statistically significant results for wellbeing, except for a trend towards significance in the age of the participants (years) and the magnitude of the intervention (total minutes of practice). In addition, the BPS was found to be more beneficial for positive and negative affect than gratitude interventions (d+ = .326 and d+ = .485, respectively). These results indicate that the BPS can be considered a valuable Positive Psychology Intervention to improve clients' wellbeing, and it seems that it might be more effective for older participants and with shorter practices (measured as total minutes of practice).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.