Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background The period following the pandemic has witnessed a surge in depression, distress, and anxiety, alongside a rise in digitalization. This has underscored the necessity of finding alternatives to in-person interventions for mental well-being. According to positive psychology, compass...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03763-7 |
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| author | Lotte Bock Madiha Rana Tahnee Rössler Majeed Rana |
| author_facet | Lotte Bock Madiha Rana Tahnee Rössler Majeed Rana |
| author_sort | Lotte Bock |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The period following the pandemic has witnessed a surge in depression, distress, and anxiety, alongside a rise in digitalization. This has underscored the necessity of finding alternatives to in-person interventions for mental well-being. According to positive psychology, compassion and gratitude can alleviate anxiety and depression. This pilot study investigates the impact of a four-week self-directed online training program that emphasizes compassion and gratitude as essential components of women's psychological well-being. Methods For this randomized controlled trial, a sample of 51 women aged between 21 and 39 years was selected. The experimental group (n = 26) underwent a four-week training program on compassion and gratitude, which included psychoeducation, compassion exercises, and journaling. The control group was a waitlist control group (n = 25). Participants' levels of compassion and gratitude were assessed before and after the four-week program using standardized self-report surveys. The German Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-G) and the German Multi-Component Gratitude Measure (MCGM-G) were utilized to examine the differences between the experimental group and the waitlist control group over time, a repeated measures ANOVA was conducted. Results The study shows that participants in the experimental group experienced a significant improvement in both compassion and gratitude skills. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between compassion and gratitude. Conclusion The findings of the pilot study suggest that a brief self-directed online program aimed at cultivating compassion and gratitude can enhance factors that are crucial to women's mental well-being. Further research is necessary to examine the long-term effects of these interventions and their suitability for diverse demographics. Trial registration The trail was registered 23.12.2022 at German Clinical Trails Registre. Registration ID: DRKS00030973. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ee4c3ee3e40e4a6d8693c20ceb438cf3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ee4c3ee3e40e4a6d8693c20ceb438cf32025-08-20T03:05:57ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742025-07-0125111910.1186/s12905-025-03763-7Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trialLotte Bock0Madiha Rana1Tahnee Rössler2Majeed Rana3Department of Psychology, Leu¬Pha¬Na Uni¬Ver¬Sität Lüne¬BurgDepartment of Health Psychology Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg, University of Applied SciencesDepartment of Health Psychology Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg, University of Applied SciencesDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Heinrich Heine University DuesseldorfAbstract Background The period following the pandemic has witnessed a surge in depression, distress, and anxiety, alongside a rise in digitalization. This has underscored the necessity of finding alternatives to in-person interventions for mental well-being. According to positive psychology, compassion and gratitude can alleviate anxiety and depression. This pilot study investigates the impact of a four-week self-directed online training program that emphasizes compassion and gratitude as essential components of women's psychological well-being. Methods For this randomized controlled trial, a sample of 51 women aged between 21 and 39 years was selected. The experimental group (n = 26) underwent a four-week training program on compassion and gratitude, which included psychoeducation, compassion exercises, and journaling. The control group was a waitlist control group (n = 25). Participants' levels of compassion and gratitude were assessed before and after the four-week program using standardized self-report surveys. The German Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-G) and the German Multi-Component Gratitude Measure (MCGM-G) were utilized to examine the differences between the experimental group and the waitlist control group over time, a repeated measures ANOVA was conducted. Results The study shows that participants in the experimental group experienced a significant improvement in both compassion and gratitude skills. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between compassion and gratitude. Conclusion The findings of the pilot study suggest that a brief self-directed online program aimed at cultivating compassion and gratitude can enhance factors that are crucial to women's mental well-being. Further research is necessary to examine the long-term effects of these interventions and their suitability for diverse demographics. Trial registration The trail was registered 23.12.2022 at German Clinical Trails Registre. Registration ID: DRKS00030973.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03763-7CompassionGratitudeSelf-instructed trainingPositive psychologyMindfulness |
| spellingShingle | Lotte Bock Madiha Rana Tahnee Rössler Majeed Rana Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial BMC Women's Health Compassion Gratitude Self-instructed training Positive psychology Mindfulness |
| title | Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four week online training program improve women s mental health a randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Compassion Gratitude Self-instructed training Positive psychology Mindfulness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03763-7 |
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