Publication Date
7-2021
School
School of Behavioral Sciences
Major
Psychology
Keywords
gratitude, resilience, mental health, stress, COVID-19, psychotherapy, text therapy, physical health
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Folkerts, Stuart, "The Effect of Gratitude on Resilience, Mental Health and Stress" (2021). Senior Honors Theses. 1116.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1116
Abstract
Due to the stresses of the COVID-19 Pandemic, mental health problems have been on the rise. As stress levels have been on the rise, resilience levels seem to be decreasing. Not only does the mental health crisis put a greater strain on healthcare and the economy but is also puts individuals at a greater risk for developing various physical health problems. The virtue, gratitude, may work to increase resilience while decreasing stress and mental health pathologies. The objective of this study was to examine if participants in a 20-day gratitude text message intervention improved in resilience, stress, and mental health scores more than participants in a control group. In a pretest-posttest design, participants who received the gratitude text messages improved significantly (p=0.001) in their resilience, stress and mental health scores. This gratitude text-message intervention has future implications for psychotherapy and healthcare use.
