A Qualitative Review and Integrative Model of Gratitude and Physical Health

Abstract

Gratitude is seen as a central component of Christian theology, and the extant literature suggests that there is an important relation between gratitude and physical health and well-being. In the current review, we summarize 42 studies published since 2009 that inform this relationship. Based on the theoretical framework by Hill, Allemand, and Roberts (2013), we organize our review in three sections that focus on how gratitude influences physical health through (a) mental health, (b) health behaviors, and (c) interpersonal variables. We discuss and integrate the findings from these studies into a theoretical model of gratitude and physical health. In addition to the three mechanisms in the Hill et al. model, we integrate variables from a previously conducted literature review of gratitude and well-being (Wood, Froh, & Geraghty, 2010), and we add personal factors, positive or adverse events, and explicit interventions as antecedents to gratitude in our model. We conclude by discussing future directions for gratitude and health research and its role within Christian psychology.