The Mental Health Benefits of Gratitude for Kids & Teens

Although the Thanksgiving holiday is behind us, continuing the practice of gratitude has mental

health benefits for all of us. Gratitude may be especially helpful for kids and teens who suffer from

symptoms of anxiety and depression, given its ability to improve symptoms associated with both of

these categories of mental health disorders. Here are a few ways that gratitude can be helpful for

kids and teens:

1. Expressing gratitude improves mood.

Simply writing or stating a reason to be thankful can improve mood. Encourage kids and teens to

make a habit of expressing gratitude and they are more likely to report positive emotions such as

happiness and satisfaction. This can help to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, both of

which limit the amount of pleasant, positive emotions that are experienced day-to-day.

2. Gratitude increases social connection.

Sharing gratitude can improve our children’s social bonds with family and friends. In a recent study

of high school adolescents’ social media use and gratitude, results suggest that gratitude may be

associated with the use of social media for meaningful conversations, but does not increase overall

social media use (Maheux et al., 2021). This is good news for our kids and teens who have been

more connected to peers through social media since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Try

encouraging more #gratitude posts and reap the benefits of stronger friendships.

3. Gratitude helps to reduce suicide risk.

Previous research has established that gratitude reduces suicide risk in young adults by reducing

depression and increasing self-esteem (Lin, 2015). In a more recent study, positive self-compassion

that includes gratitude helped to reduce suicide risk among adolescents following a traumatic

experience (Liu et al., 2020). Given the increased risk of suicidal ideation for teens struggling with

anxiety and depression, the use of gratitude can help to manage of one mental health’s most

dangerous symptoms.

4. Practicing gratitude improves sleep.

Both anxious and depressed children tend to experience disturbances in sleep, and gratitude may

be the answer. Thinking about the things we are grateful for just before bed can improve sleep

quality and duration (Wood et al., 2008). Try a little gratitude journaling or saying a prayer of

gratitude at bedtime to activate these grateful thoughts.

5. Parents and caregivers can model gratitude at home.

Good news! When parents are more grateful, their children often express more gratitude

(Rothenberg et al., 2016; Hussong et al., 2018). As we continue a season of gratitude this year, be

sure to model your gratitude by sharing thanks for the people and things that bring joy to your life.

Bonus points if you turn this exercise into a way to praise your children (e.g., “I am so grateful that

my kids work hard in school and have been so helpful around the house.”) and reap the benefits of

increased joy and positive emotion.

How will you and your family benefit from more gratitude this year?

References

Hussong, A. M., Langley, H. A., Rothenberg, W. A., Coffman, J. L., Halberstadt, A. G., Costanzo, P.

R., & Mokrova, I. (2018). Raising grateful children one day at a time. Applied Developmental

Science, 23(4), 371–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1441713

Lin, C. C. (2015). The relationships among gratitude, self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation

among undergraduate students. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 56(6), 700–707.

https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12252

Liu, A., Wang, W., & Wu, X. (2020). Understanding the Relation Between Self-Compassion and

Suicide Risk Among Adolescents in a Post-disaster Context: Mediating Roles of Gratitude

and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01541

Maheux, A. J., Nesi, J., Galla, B. M., Roberts, S. R., & Choukas‐Bradley, S. (2021). #grateful:

Longitudinal Associations between adolescents’ social media use and gratitude during the

COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(3), 734–747.

https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12650

Rothenberg, W. A., Hussong, A. M., Langley, H. A., Egerton, G. A., Halberstadt, A. G., Coffman, J.

L., Mokrova, I., & Costanzo, P. R. (2016). Grateful parents raising grateful children: Niche

selection and the socialization of child gratitude. Applied Developmental Science, 21(2),

106–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2016.1175945

Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Lloyd, J., & Atkins, S. (2009). Gratitude influences sleep through the

mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 66(1), 43–48.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.09.002