Effectiveness and acceptability of a gratitude diary intervention in schools

Effectiveness and acceptability of a gratitude diary intervention in schools

The study investigated the efficacy of implementing a gratitude writing intervention developed by the authors specifically for the context of a Japanese school setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Innocenti Report Card 16 (UNICEF, 2020), Japan ranked 37th out of 41 OECD and EU countries in terms of children’s mental wellbeing. Additionally, Japanese research highlighted a concerning rise in cases of child violence and suicide during the pandemic. In response to these issues, this study sought to address these challenges by introducing wellbeing education centered on gratitude writing. The participants in the study were primary school students (69 students; 35 females and 34 males) between the ages of 7 and 8, who voluntarily engaged in the program for eight weeks. The intervention sessions took place during 10–15 min additional class periods or were assigned as homework. Students completed questionnaires at three different time points, under the guidance of their teacher. Encouragingly, the results indicated notable positive changes in bothwellbeing and perceptions of social support among the participants, suggesting the feasibility of implementing such a program within Japanese schools. Specifically, the data revealed a moderate to large effect size in the improvement of wellbeing scores between T1 and T2 (g=0.49; SE=0.28) and between T1 and T3 (g=0.64; SE=0.28) within the intervention group. This study delves into the potential benefits of incorporating a brief gratitude writing intervention, within the school curriculum, especially amid the challenging circumstances presented by the pandemic. Additionally, the discussion encompasses limitations and future directions in this research area.

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