A Positive Psychology Framework for Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Positive psychology has emerged as a comprehensive and transformative approach, highlighting concepts such as subjective well-being, psychological well-being, flourishing, happiness, and meaning. In contrast to traditional psychology, positive psychology places emphasis on the presence of well-being rather than the absence of ill-being. Substance use disorders (SUDs) and their treatment efforts have historically been implemented through deficit-based lenses and are associated with suboptimal treatment outcomes. With increasing rates of SUDs and their adverse outcomes, particularly among adolescents, there is a pressing need to address this concern and improve existing treatment models. This paper aims to fill the gap in innovative and effective methodologies in this area. It pursues four primary objectives: firstly, to provide a comprehensive review of positive psychology and its core components; secondly, to explore SUDs and the key components of addiction; thirdly, to critically examine current treatment models, identifying potential sources of harm; and finally, to propose alternative treatment and intervention methodologies rooted in positive psychology. This paper will create a treatment framework using concepts of well-being, strengths, flourishing, solution-focused approaches, empathy, and motivation. By integrating positive psychology into substance use disorder treatment, it aims to improve approaches and address the urgent need for more effective solutions to improve SUD treatment and related outcomes.