Purpose: This study was done to verify effects of a positive psychotherapy program on depression, self-esteem, and hope in patients with major depressive disorders. Methods: A nonequivalent control group pre-post design was used. Participants were 53 people (control group=27 and experimental group=26) who were diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and received psychiatric outpatient treatment. The data were collected from July 1 to December 30, 2013. The experimental group received the positive psychotherapy program 8 times over 8 weeks. Data analysis was conducted using x2-test, Fisher``s exact test and t-test. Results: As the result of the intervention, depression (p<.001), self-esteem (p<.001) and hope (p<.001) improved significantly in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that the positive psychotherapy program can be widely utilized as one of the nursing intervention programs for depressive patients.