Stress management training and gratitude journaling in the classroom: an initial investigation in Indian context

Stress and allied difficulties are pervasive among school students in present times. This concern is further magnified in the Indian context with the large represention of young people in the population and limited resources to match. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of a classroom based stress management training and gratitude journaling intervention (Flinchbaugh et al., 2012) among Indian adolescents. The intervention curriculum was adapted to suit the study context. A total of 238 students (57% males) from Grades 7-9 participated in this study. Participants were recruited from two schools, and their age ranged from 11 to 14 years. In each participating school, students were randomised at the classroom level into three intervention groups (Stress Management Training, Gratitude Journaling, combination of both), and one control group. Using a pre-test - post-test design, intervention impact on measures of well-being, life satisfaction, perceived stress, meaning, and engagement in the classroom was evaluated. Results suggested limited effectiveness of stress management training and gratitude journaling among participants in the present context. Plausible explanations for these findings are discussed. The study emphasizes the need for customised interventions to obtain optimal outcomes among diverse populations.