Positive psychiatry interventions to promote health and well-being in Canada: a narrative review

Rising healthcare costs, prevalence of chronic diseases, and population aging in Canada highlight the limitations of reactive, disease-based models in healthcare. Positive psychiatry reframes healthcare in terms of cultivating positive psychosocial characteristics (PPCs) as important, modifiable determinants of health. While Canadian healthcare initiatives are increasingly aligned with positive psychiatry, the evidence base has not been comprehensively synthesized. This narrative review synthesizes empirical evidence on positive psychiatry-informed interventions to promote health and well-being in Canada. Eligible studies were English-language, peer-reviewed empirical articles examining psychosocial interventions targeting PPCs. Sixteen studies were included. Interventions included individuals with chronic disease, caregivers, and Canadian minorities including Francophones and First Nations peoples. This synthesis revealed important themes: the presence of positive psychiatry interventions across the lifespan; a focus on lifestyle change; national scaling of positive psychiatry interventions at the frontlines of care; PPC interventions for primary prevention and tertiary care to mitigate chronic disease; and targeting Canada’s equity-denied groups. Interventions targeting PPCs have the potential to reduce downstream healthcare utilization and improve system sustainability. Evidence from Canada supports the feasibility of positive psychiatry interventions to promote health and well-being across populations and healthcare settings. National scaling of PPC interventions in Canada represents gains in research and practice for health and well-being promotion at the frontlines of care. Further scaling of effective positive psychiatry interventions aligns with national and global public health, sustainability, and health equity objectives.