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Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Affect and Beliefs

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Abstract

Forgiveness and gratitude are positive psychological characteristics that are connected to well-being. This study examined these connections in an understudied population of psychotherapy outpatients and examined the extent to which affect and beliefs mediated these relationships. Participants were 72 outpatients who completed a battery of assessments as part of a standard intake protocol. Results showed that forgiveness and gratitude were both positively and strongly associated with well-being and largely, though not completely, mediated by affect and belief. Forgiveness and gratitude may have an important place in the positive psychologist’s repertoire of well-being enhancing techniques and exercises in general, and may be particularly powerful with a clinical psychotherapy population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA

    Loren Toussaint

  2. Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Philip Friedman

  3. Foundation for Well-Being, Plymouth Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 19462, USA

    Philip Friedman

Authors
  1. Loren Toussaint
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  2. Philip Friedman
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Correspondence to Loren Toussaint.

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Portions of this study have been presented at the 3rd (2005) and 4th (2006) Annual Mid-Year Conference on Religion and Spirituality.

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Toussaint, L., Friedman, P. Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Affect and Beliefs. J Happiness Stud 10, 635–654 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9111-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9111-8

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