Gratitude intervention → Depression
Higher gratitude intervention decreases depression.
In a meta-analysis of randomized trials, people assigned a gratitude exercise reported fewer depression symptoms afterward. A review of working adults points the same way.
Meta-analysis of trials · Moderate
Supported by an experiment or a tightly identified design. Read the caveats.
Mechanism
The studies do not test why it works.
Caveats
People were assigned the exercise, which is why this edge can carry a causal stamp. The sources we hold report the direction without a size, so this edge gives none. The review of working adults does not say how its own studies were designed. Depression here means symptom scores, not a diagnosis.
Effect
Both reviews report fewer depression symptoms after gratitude exercises. No pooled size is stated.
Nodes
Cite this page
What Causes What. “Gratitude intervention → Depression.” https://whatcauseswhat.org/edges/e-gratitude-depression (atlas updated 2026-10-18).
Papers
- The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
G Diniz, L Korkes, LS Tristão, R Pelegrini, PL Bellodi, WM Bernardo · 2023 · Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review.
Y Komase, K Watanabe, D Hori, K Nozawa, Y Hidaka, M Iida, K Imamura, N Kawakami · 2021 · Journal of occupational health
healthy workers