Bidirectional relations between gratitude and depression/anxiety: based on three follow-up data

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Mental Health
• Social-Emotional Development

Background:

• The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions suggests benefits for mental health.
• Traditional views often assume a direct positive impact of gratitude on mental well-being.
• Understanding the dynamic relationship between gratitude and adverse emotions like depression and anxiety in adolescents is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bidirectional relationship between gratitude and symptoms of depression and anxiety in high school students.
• To examine the predictive influence of gratitude on depression/anxiety and vice versa using a longitudinal design.
• To test hypotheses derived from the broaden-and-build theory in the context of adolescent emotional development.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal follow-up study design was employed.
• 512 high school students in China participated, with data collected at three time points over two years.
• A cross-lagged panel model was utilized to analyze the reciprocal associations between gratitude, depression, and anxiety.

Main Results:

• Gratitude showed a significant negative correlation with both depression and anxiety.
• Gratitude did not significantly predict future levels of depression or anxiety.
• Depression and anxiety significantly predicted lower levels of gratitude in subsequent assessments.

Conclusions:

• The findings challenge the traditional notion of gratitude directly promoting mental health in adolescents.
• A one-way predictive relationship was identified, where adverse psychological states (depression, anxiety) influence gratitude.
• These results offer significant theoretical and practical implications for understanding adolescent social emotions and mental health interventions.