The Association Between Gratitude and Depression: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This is the meta-analysis data set for the following manuscript: This meta-analysis evaluated the association between gratitude and depression. The study synthesized the association in 70 reported effect sizes from 62 published and unpublished articles, involving a total of 26,427 child, adolescent, and adult participants. The studies were completed by different research teams, using different samples, different measures, and various correlational research designs. The results showed a significant association between gratitude and depression, r = -.39 [95% confidence intervals - .44, - .34], indicating that individuals who experience more gratitude have lower levels of depression. The results did not vary significantly with the measure of gratitude or depression used, whether the study was longitudinal or cross-sectional, the age of participants or the percentage of female participants, suggesting a robust connection between higher levels of gratitude with lower levels of depression. The findings provide a reason to explore the effects of gratitude-focused interventions as a method to alleviate depression and to prevent the development of depression.