Evaluating the effectiveness of Growing with Gratitude

Growing with Gratitude (GWG) is a universal prevention program based on positive psychology that aims to prevent anxiety and depression in primary-school-aged children. The mental health of children is a key concern for schools as it has an extensive impact in all areas of life. A cluster randomised controlled trial was implemented in nine primary schools (including 27 classes, n = 537 students) in South Australia to evaluate the program. Classrooms were randomly allocated to either a waitlist control or to the GWG program. Students’ anxiety and depression and wellbeing were measured as outcomes at five time points (baseline, mid-program, post-intervention, and 6-month and 12-month follow-up). There were no significant differences for primary or secondary outcomes between the conditions at any time point. Implementation fidelity was poor across the trial. The GWG program did appear to have some impact on children with clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression at baseline. These findings highlight challenges with implementing prevention programs in primary schools and provide suggestions for future research

Anxiety · Baseline (sea) · Cluster (spacecraft) · Cluster randomised controlled trial · Depression (economics) · Fidelity · Gratitude · Intervention (counseling) · Mental health · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Randomized controlled trial · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology

• Positive psychology interventions

  Open Access•Linda Bolier, Merel Haverman et al.•BMC Public Health•2013

  Incluir item

• The Cyrm-R

  Philip Jefferies, Lisa McGarrigle et al.•Journal of Evidence-Based Social…•2019

  Incluir item

• Resilience and mental health

  Open Access•Dmitry M Davydov, Robert Stewart et al.•Clinical Psychology Review•2010

  Incluir item

• Measuring gratitude in youth

  Jeffrey J Froh, Jinyan Fan et al.•Psychological Assessment•2011

  Incluir item

• Adapting a Compilation of Implementation Strategies to Advance School-Based Implementation Research and Practice

  Open Access•Clayton R Cook, Aaron R Lyons et al.•Prevention Science•2019

  Incluir item

• School-based depression and anxiety prevention programs for young people

  Open Access•Aliza Werner-Seidler, Yael Perry et al.•Clinical Psychology Review•2017

  Incluir item

• Emotional and psychological well-being in children

  IAN LIDDLE, Greg F A Carter•Educational Psychology in Practice•2015

  Incluir item

• The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ–CA)

  Eleonora Gullone, John Taffe•Psychological Assessment•2012

  Incluir item

• Gratitude and well-being

  Open Access•Alex M Wood, Jeffrey J Froh et al.•Clinical Psychology Review•2010

  Incluir item

• The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version

  Chad Ebesutani, Steven P Reise et al.•Psychological Assessment•2012

  Incluir item

• Supporting children’s mental health in schools

  Anne Graham, Renata Phelps et al.•Teachers and Teaching•2011

  Incluir item

• Using Gratitude to Promote Positive Change

  Leah Dickens, Leah R Dickens•Basic and Applied Social Psychology•2017

  Incluir item

• Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children

  Open Access•Bruce F Chorpita, Letitia Yim et al.•Behaviour Research and Therapy•2000

  Incluir item

• Effectiveness of positive psychology interventions

  Alan Carr, Katie Cullen et al.•The Journal of Positive Psychology•2021

  Incluir item

• Positive psychology

  Martin E P Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi•American Psychologist•2000

  Incluir item

• ‘I cannot sustain the workload and the emotional toll’

  Open Access•Andy Mckay, Amanda Heffernan et al.•Australian Journal of Education•2022

  Incluir item

• Mindfulness in primary school children as a route to enhanced life satisfaction, positive outlook and effective emotion regulation

  Open Access•R Amundsen, Leigh M Riby et al.•BMC Psychology•2020

  Incluir item

• Evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial resilience training for heart health, and the added value of promoting physical activity

  Open Access•Nicola W Burton, Kenneth I Pakenham et al.•BMC Public Health•2009

  Incluir item

• Changing times in the classroom

  Stephen Crump•International Studies in…•2005

  Incluir item

• Is Volunteering Rewarding in Itself

  Open Access•Stephan Meier, Alois Stutzer•Economica•2008

  Incluir item

• Positive Psychology Progress

  Martin E P Seligman, Tracy A Steen et al.•American Psychologist•2005

  Incluir item

• Positive education

  Martin E P Seligman, Randal M Ernst et al.•Oxford Review of Education•2009

  Incluir item