Gratitude Cognitive Behavior Therapy (G-CBT) to Reduce College Students’ Academic Stress

Abstract

Stress cannot be separated from student academic life in university. This stressful condition, if not managed properly, can prevent students from successfully completing their studies. This study aimed to examine the effects of Gratitude-Cognitive Behavior Therapy (G-CBT) in reducing academic stress among students. Sixteen students were recruited for this research, all of which were working on their thesis projects. Among these participants, 10 were assigned to the experimental group and six were assigned to the control group. The effect of the intervention was tested using a quasi-experiment with an untreated control group design with pretest and posttest samples. The Academic Stress Scale and the Grateful Scale were used to measure academic stress and gratitude. Analysis using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U Test showed that following the administration of G-CBT treatment, there was a larger reduction of academic stress among participants in the experimental group compared to the control group (Z = -3.264; p <0.05). The study concluded that G-CBT intervention can reduce academic stress on students.

Gratitude, academic self-efficacy, and well-being outcomes among Filipino undergraduate students

“…The results of the present investigation on the link of gratitude to better life satisfaction and well-being allude to the potential psychological payoffs linked to supplementing traditional counseling interventions with gratitude-increasing exercises to effectively address the mental health needs of students in higher education contexts. An example of this is gratitude cognitive behavior therapy, which incorporates gratitude-increasing activities (i.e., gratitude journals and letters) with traditional cognitive behavior therapy techniques (e.g., cognitive restructuring, relaxation, symbolic modeling, and homework; Utami et al, 2020). Of note, gratitude cognitive behavior therapy was found to lower academic stress among college students finishing their undergraduate thesis (Utami et al, 2020).…”

“…An example of this is gratitude cognitive behavior therapy, which incorporates gratitude-increasing activities (i.e., gratitude journals and letters) with traditional cognitive behavior therapy techniques (e.g., cognitive restructuring, relaxation, symbolic modeling, and homework; Utami et al, 2020). Of note, gratitude cognitive behavior therapy was found to lower academic stress among college students finishing their undergraduate thesis (Utami et al, 2020). Online gratitude interventions have also enhanced Filipino students' positive affect (Datu, Buenconsejo, et al, 2022) and their academic motivation and engagement (Valdez et al, 2022).…”

Perceived Academic Stress Among Students During Pandemic in a Malaysian University

“…Stress cannot be disconnected from students' academic life in university or higher learning institution. This stressful situation and condition could prevent students from successfully completing their studies if the students cannot handle it accordingly (Utami et al, 2020). One form of stress that can manifest in an academic environment, such as a school or university, is known as academic stress.…”

G-CBT for Reducing Depression Symptoms in Individuals from Dysfunctional Family

“…Gratitude-Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a gratitude intervention delivered with a cognitive behavioral approach. This intervention was made by Utami et al (2017) based on the four steps of the cognitive behavioral approach to practice gratitude (Miller in Peterson and Seligman (2004), which are (1) identifying ungrateful thoughts, (2) formulating thoughts that support gratitude, (3) replacing ungrateful thoughts with grateful thoughts, (4) converting feelings of gratitude into action. In previous studies, G-CBT has been proven effective in reducing depression in adolescents (Mutia et al, 2010;Yusinta, 2019).…”