Amishi Jain and Priyanka Agarwal
IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, India
Pages:179-191
The 21st century marks a modern era in psychology, where attention moves beyond the
pathology of mental illness towards the promotion of mental health and psychological
well- being. This transformation came into the existence with rise of positive psychology,
a scientific area that highlighted the exploration of the components of a good life (Seligman
& Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). The PERMA framework proposed by Martin Seligman offers
a holistic understanding of well-being by incorporating five components: Positive Emotion,
Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Later, Donaldson extended
the PERMA model into PERMA+4 by integrating Physical Health, Mindset, Environment,
and Economic Security, which provides a holistic perspective of happiness and wellbeing.
Adopting a narrative theoretical approach to positive psychology literature
investigates the impact of PERMA and PERMA+4 elements in highlighting emotional
resilience, happiness, adjustment, and human flourishing across various life settings.
The result points out that happiness is generated through the dynamic interplay of
PERMA+4 elements, supporting individuals in adapting to stressors and overcoming
life challenges with resilience, adaptability and a cultivation of purpose as key drivers
for maintaining long term well-being. Empirical studies have contributed to the field of
positive psychology by situating PERMA+4 as a comprehensive and integrative
framework for understanding well-being. It focuses on the enhancement of examining
psychological, physical, social, and economic constituents that promote long-term
flourishing across personal, educational, and organizational contexts. By redefining
happiness not as a momentary joy but to include resilience, adaptation and purpose,
positive psychology focuses on how PERMA+4 supports long term well- being.