A new study in Cardiology ClinicCo-authored by University of South Florida Assistant Professor Sunhyung Kwon, examines the best ways to implement positive psychology interventions, such as gratitude, Mindfulnessand optimism training, to address the leading cause of death worldwide: cardiovascular disease.
“While most cardiovascular research has traditionally focused on stress and negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, there is growing evidence that positive psychological factors play an important role in health outcomes,” Kwon said.
“This study was motivated by a key research gap, to discover how much or how often these interventions should be delivered to produce meaningful cardiovascular benefits.”
Kwon’s research focuses on how positive emotional well-being affects physical health, particularly cardiovascular health. Although positivity can encourage healthy habits such as diet and exercise, researchers still want to understand how much and how often these interventions are important.
To find answers, he collaborated with colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The team analyzed data patterns across 18 past randomized controlled trials, each involving 50-200 participants.
Participants were recruited into structured positive psychology programs ranging from app- and text-based programs to journaling. The programs were delivered through weekly sessions and daily at-home activities, allowing researchers to measure changes in cardiovascular health and behavior. Kwon and her colleagues then analyzed the data to identify common patterns when participants experienced improvements after the intervention.
“Our findings show that short-term cardiovascular benefits are most consistent when interventions are delivered frequently, often daily, over an eight- to 12-week period,” Kwon said.
“In some cases, we found that people on the positivity program lowered their blood pressure by about 7 to 8 points and took an extra 1,800 steps per day.”
Together, these findings suggest that simple, structured exercises can meaningfully improve both mental well-being and cardiovascular health when done consistently.
Common methods studied in these interventions include:
- Write down a few things you are grateful for each day
- Practicing brief mindfulness or breathing exercises
- Making negative thoughts more constructive
- Follow these practices regularly for 8 to 12 weeks
- Continued engagement at a lower intensity to maintain benefits
A large part of Kwon’s research also involves the aging population and how wearable technology can further benefit them
Based on these findings, the digital platform Coon references is a core part of his research at USF, which focuses on digital health, gerontology and positive psychology. Seeing these health barriers further motivated him to explore digital health interventions, such as virtual reality, mobile applications and wearable devices.
“I want to use these tools as a way to provide positive mental and physical activity interventions to older adults who may otherwise lack access to traditional health care services,” Kwon said.
Currently, Kwon is further collaborating with USF colleagues in the School of Social Work and the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. He plans to develop an augmented reality (AR)-based physical activity intervention for older adults living in the Tampa Bay area. The program will use AR-guided movement tools, real-time feedback and age-friendly exercises to support greater cardiovascular health outcomes.
Source: University of South Florida
Original study DOI: 10.1016/j.ccl.2025.12.001
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Previously published with future.org Creative Commons License
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Photo credit: splash
