Study: Grateful Teens Have More Positive Mental Health
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A new study suggests that helping teenagers learn to be grateful can play a significant role in positive mental health, Health Day reports.
The findings of the study revealed that life satisfaction, happiness, positive attitudes, hope and academic performance increase with more gratitude. The author of the study said he found an association with critical life skills like cooperation, a sense of purpose, creativity and persistence among teens who say they feel grateful for various things in their lives.
The study involved 700 students, aged 10 to 14, living in New York. The participants were white (67 percent), Asian American (11 percent), black (10 percent) and Hispanic (1.4 percent), and around 11 percent were from other backgrounds or did not identify their race. Socioeconomic factors and parental educational attainment were factors in the study, but religious beliefs were not.
Researchers had students complete questionnaires over a period of four years to obtain their results. The study was funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
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