The benefits of gratitude: what the science actually says

“Gratitude is good for you” is easy to say. Online, it often grows into claims that gratitude cures anxiety, rewires your brain, or floods you with dopamine. This page takes a more careful approach. Below is what peer-reviewed studies have actually found, how strong the evidence is, and where it runs out. Every claim links to its source.

The short version: Gratitude exercises like journaling and writing thank-you letters are linked to small but real improvements in well-being and relationships for many people. The effects are usually modest. Some exercises work about as well as other pleasant activities. And gratitude is not a treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. (Davis et al., 2016) (Diniz et al., 2023)

Benefits at a glance: how strong is the evidence?

1. Gratitude and well-being

The modern science of gratitude took off with a 2003 set of experiments by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough. Participants who kept a short list of things they were grateful for, compared with people who listed hassles or neutral events, showed benefits on several (though not all) well-being measures. In one study, for example, the gratitude group felt better about their lives as a whole and more optimistic about the upcoming week. (Emmons & McCullough, 2003)

In 2005, Martin Seligman and colleagues tested five exercises with 411 people online. Writing down three good things each night for a week increased happiness and reduced depressive symptoms for six months. Writing and delivering a gratitude letter produced the biggest short-term boost, but it faded within three months. (Seligman et al., 2005) Try them yourself: Three Good Things and the gratitude letter.

A widely cited review by Alex Wood and colleagues concluded that gratitude is strongly related to well-being. It also noted that much of the evidence was correlational, and that intervention studies needed better comparison groups. (Wood, Froh & Geraghty, 2010)

2. Gratitude, depression, and anxiety

This is where online claims most often outrun the science.

• A 2016 meta-analysis found gratitude interventions had small effects on well-being. Compared with psychologically active comparison activities, they showed no clear advantage, and they had no significant effect on anxiety. (Davis et al., 2016)
• A 2021 meta-analysis of 27 studies focused on depression and anxiety found small effects on both. The effects were larger when gratitude was compared with a waitlist than with another activity. The authors recommended that people trying to reduce these symptoms use approaches with stronger evidence. (Cregg & Cheavens, 2021)
• A 2023 review of 64 randomized trials found fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression after gratitude interventions. It also judged the certainty of that evidence to be low, mainly because of risk of bias in the studies. (Diniz et al., 2023)
• In a study of about 300 adults seeking counseling, those who also wrote a gratitude letter once a week for three weeks reported better mental health four and twelve weeks later than people who did expressive writing or no writing. Remarkably, only 23% actually sent their letters. (Wong et al., 2018)

Bottom line: gratitude practices may help some people feel a little better and appear safe to try, but they are not a treatment for depression or anxiety. If you’re struggling, please talk with a doctor or licensed counselor.

3. Gratitude and relationships

The social side of gratitude has some of the most consistent findings. Psychologist Sara Algoe’s “find, remind, and bind” theory proposes that gratitude helps people notice good relationship partners, remember why they matter, and strengthen the bond. (Algoe, 2012)

• In a study of sororities, the gratitude new members felt toward older members during a gift-giving week predicted how the relationship was going a month later. (Algoe, Haidt & Gable, 2008)
• In romantic couples, daily feelings of gratitude worked like a “booster shot.” They predicted next-day increases in relationship connection and satisfaction for both partners. (Algoe, Gable & Maisel, 2010)
• When people received a short thank-you for their help, 66% helped again, compared with 32% of those who weren’t thanked. (Grant & Gino, 2010)
• People who write thank-you letters consistently underestimate how happy and surprised recipients will be, and they overestimate how awkward it will feel. (Kumar & Epley, 2018)

Ideas for putting this into practice: gratitude at work and the gratitude letter.

4. Gratitude and sleep

In a study of 401 adults, people higher in gratitude reported better sleep quality and duration and less trouble falling asleep. The link was explained partly by what people thought about in bed: grateful people had more positive and fewer negative thoughts before sleep. (Wood et al., 2009) This was a correlational study, so it can’t show that gratitude causes better sleep. Still, a bedtime gratitude habit is a gentle thing to try. See our bedtime gratitude meditation.

5. Gratitude in children and teens

In an experiment with 221 early adolescents across 11 classrooms, students who counted their blessings for two weeks reported more gratitude, more optimism, more life satisfaction, and less negative affect. Three weeks later, they also reported more satisfaction with school. (Froh, Sefick & Emmons, 2008) In another study, writing and delivering gratitude letters especially helped young people who started out low in positive emotion. (Froh et al., 2009) More in gratitude for kids.

6. Gratitude and the brain

You may have read that gratitude “rewires your brain.” The evidence for that is early. In one study, people who wrote gratitude letters showed greater sensitivity to gratitude in the medial prefrontal cortex, measured in a brain scanner about three months later. (Kini et al., 2016) (Brown & Wong, Greater Good, 2017) It’s an interesting finding from a single small study, not proof of lasting brain change. We also found no strong evidence for popular claims about gratitude and specific brain chemicals, so we don’t make them.

Gratitude myths to be careful with

• “You can’t feel gratitude and anxiety at the same time.” This is a popular saying, not a research finding. People can feel many emotions at once, and one meta-analysis found no significant effect of gratitude interventions on anxiety. (Davis et al., 2016)
• “Gratitude cures depression.” No. Effects on depressive symptoms are small on average. (Cregg & Cheavens, 2021)
• “More is always better.” Not necessarily. In one study, counting blessings once a week helped, while three times a week did not. (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade, 2005)
• “Gratitude means staying positive.” Healthy gratitude makes room for difficult feelings. (Cleveland Clinic, 2025) See gratitude in hard times.

So why practice gratitude at all?

Because it is free, takes minutes, has few known downsides, and helps many people notice the good already in their lives, especially the people. Even modest effects add up over a lifetime of days. And thanking someone tends to be good for both of you. (Kumar & Epley, 2018) Start with a gratitude journal or twelve ways to practice gratitude.

Not medical advice. This page shares general information from published research. It isn’t a substitute for care from a doctor or mental-health professional. If you’re struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a professional. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Common questions

Sources

Every study below was checked against its publisher or PubMed record. Links open the original.

1. Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., Wade, N., Varjas, K., Gifford, A., Quinn, A., Hook, J. N., Van Tongeren, D. R., Griffin, B. J., & Worthington, E. L. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(1), 20–31. doi.org/10.1037/cou0000107
2. Diniz, G., Korkes, L., Tristão, L. S., Pelegrini, R., Bellodi, P. L., & Bernardo, W. M. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. einstein (São Paulo), 21, eRW0371. doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2023RW0371
3. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
4. Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
5. Cregg, D. R., & Cheavens, J. S. (2021). Gratitude interventions: Effective self-help? A meta-analysis of the impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22, 413–445. doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00236-6
6. Algoe, S. B., Haidt, J., & Gable, S. L. (2008). Beyond reciprocity: Gratitude and relationships in everyday life. Emotion, 8(3), 425–429. doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.8.3.425
7. Algoe, S. B., Gable, S. L., & Maisel, N. C. (2010). It’s the little things: Everyday gratitude as a booster shot for romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 17(2), 217–233. doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01273.x
8. Grant, A. M., & Gino, F. (2010). A little thanks goes a long way: Explaining why gratitude expressions motivate prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(6), 946–955. doi.org/10.1037/a0017935
9. Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Lloyd, J., & Atkins, S. (2009). Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 66(1), 43–48. doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.09.002
10. Froh, J. J., Sefick, W. J., & Emmons, R. A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 46(2), 213–233. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.03.005
11. Froh, J. J., Kashdan, T. B., Ozimkowski, K. M., & Miller, N. (2009). Who benefits the most from a gratitude intervention in children and adolescents? Examining positive affect as a moderator. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(5), 408–422. doi.org/10.1080/17439760902992464
12. Kini, P., Wong, J., McInnis, S., Gabana, N., & Brown, J. W. (2016). The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity. NeuroImage, 128, 1–10. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.040
13. Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005
14. Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., Gabana, N. T., Brown, J. W., McInnis, S., Toth, P., & Gilman, L. (2018). Does gratitude writing improve the mental health of psychotherapy clients? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Research, 28(2), 192–202. doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2016.1169332
15. Algoe, S. B. (2012). Find, remind, and bind: The functions of gratitude in everyday relationships. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(6), 455–469. doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2012.00439.x
16. Kumar, A., & Epley, N. (2018). Undervaluing gratitude: Expressers misunderstand the consequences of showing appreciation. Psychological Science, 29(9), 1423–1435. doi.org/10.1177/0956797618772506
17. Brown, J., & Wong, J. (2017, June 6). How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good Magazine, UC Berkeley. greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
18. Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131. doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111
19. Cleveland Clinic. What is a gratitude journal? Benefits and how to start (with Susan Albers, PsyD). Health Essentials. health.clevelandclinic.org/tips-for-keeping-a-gratitude-journal