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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Jul 22;25(1):361.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-025-03763-7.

Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial

Lotte Bock  1 , Madiha Rana  2 , Tahnee Rössler  2 , Majeed Rana  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Can promoting compassion and gratitude through a four-week online training program improve women's mental health? A randomized controlled trial

Lotte Bock et al. BMC Womens Health. .

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.

Keywords: Compassion; Gratitude; Mindfulness; Positive psychology; Self-instructed training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Ethics Committee of the Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg approved the study (EKEFH03/22), and informed written consent was obtained from each participant. Consent for publication: Informed consent for publication was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Estimated marginal means for Self-Compassion Subscale complete score
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Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale self kindness
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Fig. 3
Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale self-judgement
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Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale common humanity
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Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale isolation
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Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale mindfulness
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Estimated marginal means for self-compassion subscale over identification
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Estimated marginal means for multi-component gratitude measure scale total
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Fig. 9
Estimated marginal means for multi-component gratitude measure subscale feelings of gratitude
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Estimated marginal means for multi-component gratitude measure subscale behavioral shortcoming
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Fig. 11
Estimated marginal means for Multi-Component Gratitude Measure Subscale Rituals/Noticing benefits
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Correlation between self-compassion scale and multi-component gratitude measure scale complete
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