The Impact of Gratitude Journaling in the Classroom

NCT07061483 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: ColoradoMesa
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 234
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to explore the potential benefit of gratitude journaling for students in grades 6-12 and their teachers. Specifically, the investigators seek to determine if the process of gratitude journaling decreases stress, student absenteeism, and teacher burnout, while increasing gratitude, optimism, and a sense of belonging.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Gratitude Journaling; Stress; Belonging; Optimism; Gratitude

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Stress

  Perceived Stress Scale. The scale has a range of scores from 0-40 with high scores indicating high stress (low scores are better outcomes).

  From enrollment to 60-day post-test

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Gratitude

  From enrollment to 60-day post-test

• Optimism

  From enrollment to 60-day post-test

• Belonging

  From enrollment to 60-day post-test

Study Arms (2)

Control (journaling without gratitude)

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Control (journaling without gratitude)

Experimental (gratitude journaling)

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Experimental (Gratitude Journaling)

Interventions

Experimental (Gratitude Journaling) BEHAVIORAL

60-Day Gratitude Journaling With Guided Prompts

Experimental (gratitude journaling)

Control (journaling without gratitude) BEHAVIORAL

60-Day Journaling Without a Gratitude Focus

Control (journaling without gratitude)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• To be included in this study, individuals must be a student from a school district in the rocky mountain region.

You may not qualify if:

• A participant would no longer be eligible for participation if their status as a student ends. Scenarios include incarceration, illegal behavior, or mental illness that requires absence or discontinued school attendance.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Michael Rhoads: lead

Study Sites (1)

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado, 81501, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Michael Rhoads, PhD

  Colorado Mesa University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Psychology

Model Details: This study employs a randomized control trial. However, one subgroup of participants were not randomized and only received the treatment condition (gratitude journaling).

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 2, 2025
• First Posted: July 11, 2025
• Study Start: August 12, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 13, 2024
• Study Completion: December 13, 2024
• Last Updated: July 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: The IPD is currently available and will be made available as long as OSF manages the data repository.
• Access Criteria: The IPD is publicly available.

Locations

US (1)