This article aims to study whether gratitude affects mental health and, if so, then provide plausible explanations for the same. The surge in interest in studying gratitude is due to the fact that positive psychology research studies have consistently proven that gratitude leads to a higher amount of life satisfaction, happiness and well-being across various strata of individuals all over the world. Though the contribution of gratitude towards well-being and mental health has been established but this also exerts the need to provide a global definition for gratitude. The article aims to: (a) give a scalable yet universally accepted definition of gratitude, (b) study the effect of gratitude on our mental health and (c) study the effect of gratitude interventions on mental health. Mental health, in this article, is indicated by the absence of symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as the presence of positive emotions. The majority of studies in this arena have focused on how gratitude positively affects our mental health, subjective and eudaimonic well-being, but there have also been a significant number of studies which show that gratitude interventions have not been as effective. Possible explanations of the association between gratitude and mental health have been discussed. The article is a narrative, non-systematic review and will be useful for those who are interested in translating the scientific study of gratitude into practice by assisting them to understand and enhance the effectiveness of gratitude interventions.
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