Relationships Between Gratitude and Mental Health Difficulties During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Southern Region of the United States

Authors

  • Allen C. Sherman ShermanAllenC@uams.edu
    Behavioral Medicine Division, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA, #756 4301 W. Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5457-1659
  • John M. Salsman Wake Forest School of Medicine and the Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2317-4006
  • Crystal L. Park Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6572-7321
  • Erick L. Messias Faculty Affairs and Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA. Currently at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0717-1166
  • Mark L. Williams Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4227-761X
  • Benjamin C. Amick Department of Epidemiology, Fay W Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3468-9451
  • Teresa J. Hudson Center for Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
  • Stephanie Simonton-Atchley Behavioral Medicine Division, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA, #756 4301 W. Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72205

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5708/EJMH.17.2022.2.12

Keywords:

COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, gratitude, depression, post-traumatic stress

Abstract

Introduction: The extensive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to heightened concerns about mental health sequelae. There has been significant interest in identifying factors associated with psychosocial vulnerability or resilience.

Aims: This study examined associations of trait gratitude with mental health difficulties among community residents in a southern state of the US.

Methods: In this cross-sectional online investigation, 543 adults were assessed during an earlier phase of the pandemic, characterized by the reopening of facilities but mounting infection rates. Participants were evaluated using a validated measure of trait gratitude and clinically relevant screening assess-ments of depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms.

Results: After adjusting for a range of pandemic-associated burdens and sociodemographic factors, multivariable analyses indicated that gratitude was significantly related to diminished levels of depres-sion, anxiety, and trauma. These effects remained significant after additional adjustment for other psychosocial resources (religiousness and perceived support).

Conclusions: Findings provide novel information regarding relationships between gratitude and reduced mental health difficulties among community residents during a stressful period early in the pandemic. Results set the stage for longitudinal research. A disposition to identify and appreciate beneficial experiences might contribute to more favorable adaptation to communal crises, and warrants further investigation.

Published 2022-10-18

How to Cite

Sherman, A. C., Salsman, J. M., Park, C. L., Messias, E. L., Williams, M. L., Amick, B. C., Hudson, T. J., & Simonton-Atchley, S. (2022). Relationships Between Gratitude and Mental Health Difficulties During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Southern Region of the United States. European Journal of Mental Health, 17(2), 118–130. https://doi.org/10.5708/EJMH.17.2022.2.12