Redressing the balance: A systematic review of positive psychology in the intellectual disability literature

Background. Research involving people with intellectual disability has largely focused on deficits and impairment. To develop the study of truly positive experiences and outcomes for people with intellectual disability, it is important to understand research being conducted that explicitly focuses on the intersection of positive psychology theory and intellectual disability. Method. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to synthesize articles published between 1992 and 2019 that assessed positive psychological constructs in samples that included individuals with intellectual disability. Quality ratings of studies and measures were provided. Results. Sixteen studies assessing 13 positive psychology constructs using 22 different measures were identified. Commonly assessed constructs were related to character strengths and virtues, positive emotional wellbeing, and growth. Conclusions. There is a growing body of literature focusing on strengths and optimal functioning of individuals with intellectual disability that is framed with positive psychology theory. Findings are discussed in relation to the development of measurement tools and strengths-based interventions.