Across two urban high schools, six classrooms (152 students) participated in lessons and activities to learn about the science of gratitude—what it means, how to practice it, and the benefits it can bring—for six weeks. Additionally, students were given access to a gratitude web app called GiveThx that functioned somewhat like a private social media network. The app allowed students to express thanks to their classmates and teachers in a low-pressure, authentic way, whenever and however they chose. The hope was that this combination would be engaging for students and make expressing and receiving gratitude a natural and rewarding part of their school experience.
A control group of nine comparable classrooms (175 students) did not receive the gratitude program. Six more classrooms, 82 students total, used the app only during the same period. At the beginning and end of the six weeks, all the students filled out well-being surveys.
What the researchers found was striking. After six weeks, compared with the control group, students who received the full program not only reported a stronger sense of gratitude—they also reported increased positive emotions, decreased anxiety and negative emotions, and greater satisfaction with both their friendships and their lives overall. In other words, learning about and practicing gratitude was associated with significant improvements in these high schoolers’ social and emotional well-being.
Further analyses showed that students who received both components of the program gave thanks more often, more intensely, and to more people compared to students who only used the app, indicating the value of including classroom lessons, as well.
Lastly, sharing gratitude seemed to be key; the more students said they expressed thanks to others, the more they showed improvements in a range of SEL competencies, including emotion regulation, motivation to achieve, kind and helpful behavior, teacher and peer relationships, and sense of meaning in life.
Altogether, this study provides compelling evidence that teaching high schoolers about gratitude and encouraging them to practice and express it—on their own terms, in ways they are comfortable with (like on social media)—can help them become happier and improve their mental health.
Though this study was conducted pre-COVID-19 and did not involve distance learning, it is easy to imagine how, even (or especially) when students are not together in person, making a habit of expressing thanks could help build community and well-being. Since gratitude can also help diminish negative emotions, it could be especially valuable in these times of fear and uncertainty.
When it feels like the world is crashing down around them, giving young people a moment to feel, express, and receive gratitude can help—and that in itself is something to be grateful for.