Gallery Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Strengths of the Heart: Assessing the Effects of Gratitude on Mental Health During the Covid19 Pandemic (#339)

Zoe Taylor 1 , Keisha Bailey 1 , Fabiola Herrera 1 , Nayantara Nair 1 , Abrianna Adams 1
  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, INDIANA, United States

Background: The pandemic has altered how families live, work and support one another; however, the impacts of this crisis have not been evenly distributed. Single-mothers typically have both fewer economic, and fewer emotional, resources due to the demands of raising a child without the support of a partner (Taylor & Conger, 2014, 2017). These prior vulnerabilities have been intensified by the present economic and social challenges. Thus, it is critical that researchers examine factors that contribute to their wellbeing. ‘Strengths of the heart’ traits such as gratitude, zest, and hope are robustly associated with wellbeing (Seligman, et al., 2005). Gratitude is a life orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in life (Wood, et al., 2010), and interventions focused on fostering gratitude have found positive effects on mental health (Davis et al., 2016), but have not been studied in single-mothers.

Objective: We examined associations between stressors, mental health and gratitude across two time-points (pre-Covid19/Covid19), with a particular focus on whether gratitude counteracted stressors and lessened internalizing problems. 

Participants: Participants were 200 single-mothers (Mage = 36.74, 88% White, mean income = $30-40,000) living in Indiana. Mothers were divorced (54%), never-married (38%), widowed (1.5%) and separated (6.5%) with on average 1.69 children. Mothers had high school/some college (46.5%), Bachelor’s degree (34%), and a Masters or above (19.5%).

Results: We evaluated a model using Structural Equation Modeling. Gratitude, internalizing problems and stressors were correlated at both time points. All variables were stable across time. T1 Gratitude negatively predicted T2 internalizing problems, and T1 stressors positively predicted internalizing problems (controlling for prior levels). Qualitative data provided additional depth.

Implications: It is likely that gratitude is linked to fewer depressive symptoms through its effects on positive reframing and positive emotion (Lambert, et al., 2012). Results suggest fostering gratitude in single-mothers would contribute to their wellbeing.

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  2. Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., & Stillman, T. F. (2012). Gratitude and depressive symptoms: The role of positive reframing and positive emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 26, 615-633. doi:10.1080/02699931.2011.595393
  3. Seligman, M. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410-421. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
  4. Taylor, Z. E. & Conger, R. D. (2017). Promoting strengths and resilience in single mother families. Child Development, 88(2), 350-358. doi:10.1111/cdev.12741
  5. Taylor, Z. E. & Conger, R. D. (2014). Risk and resilience processes in single mother families: An interactionist perspective. In Z. Sloboda & Petras, H. (Eds.) Defining Prevention Science, Advances in Prevention Science, pp. 195- 217. Springer Science, New York.
  6. Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 890-905. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005
  • Keywords: Coping and Emotion Regulation, Family, Meaning and Purpose, Parenting, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth