The effects of a brief gratitude group intervention on adolescents’ hopelessness and happiness in a school setting post-covid-19

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of a gratitude-based group intervention on adolescents returning to school after the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine, focusing on its effects on their levels of hopelessness and happiness. Using a randomized control group pre-test and post-test experimental design, the study involved 20 secondary school students (10 girls and 10 boys) with a mean age of 13.5. The intervention consisted of weekly group meetings and daily gratitude journaling exercises over a three-week period. A gratitude journal writing intervention was conducted over 21 days. Data were collected using the Beck Hopelessness Scale and Adolescent Happiness Scale. The experimental group received a gratitude-focused group intervention for three weeks. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Mann–Whitney U Test were used for the statistical analysis of the data. A significant decrease in hopelessness levels and a significant increase in happiness levels were observed in the experimental group. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the post-test scores of the experimental and control groups, favoring those of the intervention group. The findings suggest that gratitude-focused group intervention decreased adolescents’ hopelessness and increased their happiness. This program offers an effective solution for short-term, school-based interventions.