Effectiveness of Gratitude on Female Psychological Well-Being in China: A Randomized Experiment

Abstract

Purpose: Gratitude and body appreciation play important roles in women's well-being and holistic health, yet little intervention research has examined their relationships. This study tested the effectiveness of a gratitude journaling intervention on gratitude, body appreciation, psychological well-being (six dimensions), and self-rated physical health among women in China. Method: Fifty-seven women from China were randomly assigned to a three-week gratitude journaling group or a control group. All completed online pre- and post-intervention measures. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in total psychological well-being and its six dimensions (all p < .05) compared to the control group, and significant pre-to-post improvements in gratitude, body appreciation, and self-rated physical health, whereas the control group showed no significant changes. Discussion: A simple three-week gratitude intervention can improve psychological well-being, body appreciation, and self-rated physical health among Chinese women. Gratitude exercises may serve as an accessible, effective tool for enhancing women's holistic health.

Keywords

gratitude body appreciation psychological well-being self-rated physical health randomized controlled intervention

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