GRATITUDE INTERVENTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND COLLEGE STUDENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Gratitude — the recognition and appreciation of positive aspects of life — has
emerged as one of the most empirically robust constructs in positive psychology. A growing body
of evidence suggests that gratitude-based interventions can significantly enhance psychological
well-being, life satisfaction, academic motivation, and social connectedness in student populations.
However, variability in intervention design, duration, population, and outcome measurement
across studies necessitates a comprehensive synthesis.
Objective: This systematic review synthesizes empirical research (2014–2025) examining the
effects of gratitude interventions and gratitude as a dispositional trait on psychological well-being
among children, adolescents, and college students.
Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across PsycINFO,
ERIC, PubMed, and Scopus databases. A total of 41 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014
and 2025 were included. Studies were coded for population type, intervention modality, study
design, outcome variables, geographic region, and effect size where reported.
Results: Evidence across studies consistently demonstrates that gratitude interventions —
including gratitude journaling, letter writing, classroom-based gratitude programs, digital/appbased
tools, and meditation — significantly improve subjective well-being, life satisfaction,
positive affect, and academic engagement. Effects were observed across diverse geographic,
cultural, and demographic contexts. Gender moderated outcomes in several studies. Dispositional gratitude was significantly correlated with lower stress, anxiety, depression, and higher resilience,
self-efficacy, and interpersonal functioning.
Conclusions: Gratitude interventions represent low-cost, scalable, and empirically supported tools
for promoting student well-being across educational levels. Implications for school counselors,
educators, and policymakers are discussed. Future research should focus on longitudinal designs,
active control conditions, and underrepresented populations.