NCT02570685

Psychosocial Benefits of Gratitude Journals

Psychosocial Benefits of Gratitude Journals: A Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 192 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Limerick · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled study will examine the effects of different interpersonal gratitude journals compared to a neutral control journal on psycho social outcomes.

Detailed description

This randomized controlled study will examine the effect of a) a reflective interpersonal gratitude journal, and b) an reflective and behavioral interpersonal gratitude journal, versus (c) an active control journal, on life satisfaction and other secondary outcomes. Explanatory mechanisms will be tested utilizing the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of these three conditions with three week, one month and three month follow-up assessments.

Conditions

• Happiness

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Reflective Interpersonal Gratitude	Participants were given the following instructions in their journal: Writing is a great way to reflect on your daily events, helping to look back and focus on the good things in our lives. There are many things in our lives, big and small, which we might be grateful for. For the next three weeks, 3 times a week (9 days in total), reflect back on your day and think of the people you met and interacted with and are grateful for. Please write down in the space provided a number of positive social interactions over the day or friendships/relationships you are grateful for…..
BEHAVIORAL	Reflective-Behavioral Gratitude	Participants were given the following identical instructions as the reflective journal in addition to this "At the end of each week, express this gratitude to a friend of your choice face-to-face or through e-mail, facebook, a kind note, tell him/her how much you appreciate something specific that he/she does and reflect on how your friend's reaction and how you feel."
BEHAVIORAL	Neutral Control Journal	Writing is a great way to reflect on your daily events, helping to look back and reflect on our lives. For the next three weeks, 3 times a week (9 days in total), please write in the spaces provided things that happened during the day.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-10-01
• Primary completion: 2016-03-01
• Completion: 2016-03-01
• First posted: 2015-10-07
• Last updated: 2016-03-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Ireland