Gratitude and savoring interventions for older adults: a narrative review

Gratitude and savoring have great potential to support well-being in older age, but most studies on positive psychology interventions have been conducted among healthy young adults. This narrative review explored gratitude and savoring interventions for older adults, with or without dementia, including (1) the characteristics of these interventions, (2) their acceptability for older users, and (3) their effect on mental health.

Scopus, PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched in December 2023 and April 2025. Studies were eligible if they examined gratitude or savoring interventions among older adults. Multi-component intervention studies were excluded. Two researchers independently screened 2423 studies and assessed methodological quality using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Numerical and narrative data were extracted and synthesized regarding intervention characteristics, acceptability, and effectiveness.

Of the 11 included articles, five examined gratitude, five examined savoring, and one compared both. Only one study included participants with dementia. Adherence was generally high, suggesting a good fit, but participant evaluation was lacking. Four acceptability themes were highlighted concerning the target group, setting and delivery mode, dosage, and content and tailoring. Most studies showed improved well-being and reduced psychopathology, although not consistently on all outcome measures.

There is initial evidence that gratitude and savoring interventions could be suitable to promote mental health among older adults with relatively preserved cognitive function. Future research should examine the need for tailoring in terms of dose, delivery method and content, and applicability to more diverse groups of older adults.