Podium Presentation - 10 minutes International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Does gratitude promote resilience during a pandemic? An examination of college students’ mental health and outlook at the onset of COVID-19. (#73)

Shaina A Kumar 1 , Anna E Jaffe 2 , Lisa L Scherer 3 , David DiLillo 4
  1. Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
  2. Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
  3. Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, United States
  4. Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Background: Emerging literature highlights detrimental effects of COVID-19 on mental health, with many individuals experiencing increased depression and anxiety at the onset of the pandemic (van Agteren et al., 2020). Less attention has been given to protective factors that promote resilience during COVID-19. Research conducted prior to the pandemic suggests one potential protective factor is gratitude, which reflects appreciation of positive experiences in daily life. Gratitude is associated with less negative affect, depression, and anxiety, as well as more positive affect, optimism, and life satisfaction (Rash et al., 2011). Pre-existing gratitude is also known to promote wellbeing following adversity, alleviating trauma-related psychopathology and encouraging personal growth (Vieselmeyer et al., 2017). Hypotheses/Research Questions: Extending prior work on gratitude, we hypothesized dispositional gratitude measured prior to COVID-19 would promote better mental health and positive outlook at the onset of COVID-19. Sample Characteristics and Sample Size: Participants were 209 college students (Mage = 20.29, 87.3% White). Design: Prior to COVID-19 (January-March 2020), participants completed measures of gratitude, depression, and anxiety. Post-COVID-19 (April 2020), participants completed measures of depression, anxiety, changes in outlook, and positive experiences resulting from COVID-19. Results: A multilevel modeling approach revealed depression and anxiety symptoms significantly increased from pre- to post-COVID-19 across participants, but for those who reported greater gratitude the slope was less positive. Correlational analyses suggested gratitude was also associated with decreased negative outlook, increased positive outlook, and increased endorsement of positive experiences resulting from COVID-19. A preliminary thematic analysis showed having more free time and strengthening interpersonal connections were commonly reported positive experiences. Scientific Contribution: Findings suggest gratitude buffered pandemic-related increases in depression and anxiety, and fostered a positive outlook at the onset of COVID-19. Future research is needed to determine whether gratitude and other strengths continue to promote resilience to prolonged stress as the pandemic continues.

  1. Rash, J. A., Matsuba, M. K., & Prkachin, K. M. (2011). Gratitude and well-being: Who benefits the most from a gratitude intervention? Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3, 350-369.
  2. van Agteren, J., Bartholomaeus, J., Fassnacht, D. B., Iasiello, M., Ali, K., Lo, L., & Kyrios, M. (2020). Using internet-based psychological measurement to capture the deteriorating community mental health profile during COVID-19: Observational study. JMIR Mental Health, 7, e20696.
  3. Vieselmeyer, J., Holguin, J., & Mezulis, A. (2017). The role of resilience and gratitude in posttraumatic stress and growth following a campus shooting. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9, 62-69.
  • Keywords: Positive emotions, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth, Strengths