Lambert, L., Joshanloo, M., Marquez, J. M., Cody, B., Arora, T. Warren, M. A., Aguilar, L., Samways, M., & Teasel, S. (2022). Boosting student wellbeing despite a pandemic? Positive psychology interventions and the impact of sleep in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-022-00066-2

A positive psychology program was developed to generate positive emotions, life satisfaction, mental toughness and perceptions of school kindness in 538 expatriate students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Starting in September 2019, it included gratitude and acts of kindness as examples. Life satisfaction and mental toughness at mid-year were sustained or grew by the end of the year. Positive affect, hedonic wellbeing and social wellbeing increased at post-intervention 1 but reverted to baseline at post-intervention 2. Psychological wellbeing, negative affect, perception of control, and school kindness only increased at post-intervention 2. During the lockdown, students moved less, but slept and scrolled more. Those who slept more experienced greater wellbeing. Boosting wellbeing works – even in a pandemic – but, sleep also matters.

*Leslie Aguilar is a Western student earning her BA in International Business.