The Happiness Route: finding alternatives to the problem-based approach in social work for vulnerable groups

The Happiness Route is a positive psychology intervention (PPI) for lonely people with health problems and low socio-economic status with the aim to improve their well-being. To be able to pursue an intrinsically motivated activity, participants received a budget of €500. A randomized controlled trial showed that the intervention was just as effective as the problem-based control condition, but participants were more satisfied with the Happiness Route. An interview study indicated that individuals change in different ways, showing that one size does not fit all. Lessons learned during the implementation are shared, such as the importance of the project leader, the role of the intermediaries to reach the target group and the role of autonomy-support in the training of counsellors. We conclude that a PPI can be used as a complement to the traditional focus on problems and can bring more balance into the care for the most vulnerable people.