Positive Psychological Internet- and Mobile-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Psychological Disorders in Adults : A Scoping Review

Positive Psychological Interventions (PPIs) aim to enhance well-being by cultivating psychological strengths, resources, and positive emotions. While analog PPIs have demonstrated small to moderate effects on well-being and distress in both clinical and non-clinical populations (Carr et al., 2024, Chakhsiss et al., 2018), their digital counterparts, Positive Psychological Internet- and Mobile-based Interventions (PP-IMIs), remain underexplored in clinical settings. This scoping review synthesized current evidence on the characteristics, clinical applications, and reported outcomes of PP-IMIs in adults with psychological disorders. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, five eligible studies were identified, targeting depression (n = 3), Autism Spectrum Disorder (n = 1), and Alcohol Use Disorder (n = 1). Most studies employed exploratory designs, with substantial heterogeneity in intervention components, delivery formats, and outcome measures. All interventions were self-guided and web-based, with no mobile app–based implementations, and primarily targeted domains such as gratitude, self-compassion, strengths use, and savoring. Preliminary findings suggest that PP-IMIs are generally acceptable and feasible, with promising short-term effects on depressive symptoms, emotion regulation, and well-being. However, the current evidence base is limited by a lack of controlled trials, standardized outcome measures, long-term follow-up, and representation of a broader range of diagnoses such as anxiety and severe mental illness. Future research should focus on developing tailored, mobile-accessible PP-IMIs, establishing core outcome frameworks, and evaluating sustained impact and scalability across diverse clinical populations.