Gratitude as Predictor of Psychological Well-Being Among Secondary Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2024.0559Keywords:
Counseling, Gratitude, Positive psychology, Psychological well-being, Secondary studentsAbstract
Gratitude is one of the universal character strengths under the virtue category of transcendence. It is also defined as a sense of thankfulness and happiness resulting from acknowledging desirable opportunities, outcomes, and gifts. Much research has proven that gratitude is linked to less distress and higher life satisfaction (Zhang et al., 2022). The WHO described psychological well-being as a positive state experienced by individuals and societies (Lin et al., 2022). This also pertains to how people feel they function on a personal and social level and evaluate their lives (Michaelson et al., 2012). Both variables play a role in championing adolescents’ overall wellness, especially in schools in this age of VUCADD-BANI. This study highlights the dearth of literature in the Filipino context, emphasizing young people’s well-being and gratitude. This research quantitatively explored the prediction between gratitude and well-being among secondary students (n=91) in a private school in Manila. The sample size was determined through G*Power 3.1.9.7; the subjects were selected through a random stratified sampling technique. The data was run through JAMOVI version 2.4.14 and found a positive and moderate relationship (p<0.001, r=0.61) between gratitude and psychological well-being among secondary learners. Moreover, gratitude can predict psychological well-being by 41% among the participants. The findings suggest that fostering gratitude among secondary learners can improve mental health outcomes. Practicing gratitude can lead to greater self-acceptance, personal growth, positive relations, and purpose in life, which mitigates distress among secondary students. This can serve as a basis for gratitude-focused interventions and school counseling programs that enrich students’ well-being by flourishing gratitude at the secondary level.
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