Date
1-9-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Margaret Gopaul
Keywords
gratitude, anxiety, depression, persistence
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Hilbun, Terrie L., "The Effects of Social Gratitude on Anxiety, Depression, and Persistence to Graduate Among College Students" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5157.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5157
Abstract
Anxiety and depression have become increasingly prevalent among college students, leading to negative consequences such as decreased persistence to graduate. This study’s goal was to research the effects of a two-week gratitude intervention on attitude health, focusing on gratitude, depression, anxiety, and persistence of college students. The participants were drawn from a convenience sample of community college students located in northeast Alabama. A single pre-and post-test design was utilized, to compare the effects of a social gratitude intervention on gratitude, anxiety, depression, and persistence. A total of 25 volunteers, aged 18 or older, participated. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference when a social gratitude intervention was implemented for two weeks for college students' attitude health, which was measured by gratitude, depression, anxiety, and persistence. The Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6) assessed dispositional gratitude, while the Patient Health Questionnaire Somatic, Anxiety, and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS) measured anxiety and depression levels. To assess persistence, the Grit Scale for Children and Adults (GSCA) was utilized. Data analysis involved a one-way repeated measures MANOVA to decide whether the multiple dependent variables demonstrated significant changes over the course of the two-week intervention, F(4, 21) = 383.91, p = .007, V = .48. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference in three of the dependent variables of anxiety, depression, and persistence over a two-week period. Univariate ANOVA tests indicated a decrease in anxiety and depression, and an increase in persistence. Although there was no statistically significant difference, descriptive results showed an increase in gratitude.
