Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Mothers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Intervention Procedure
- Gratitude journaling: Participants were asked to write thrice weekly in a guided gratitude journal. Each entry required participants to identify and reflect on three positive experiences or aspects of their day, explain why each was meaningful, and describe how they felt. An example prompt might be: “Write about three things you were grateful for today and why they mattered to you.” Journals were self-administered and submitted electronically each week.
- Workshops on positive psychology: Two workshops, each lasting approximately two hours, were conducted during the intervention period. The workshops were led by qualified professionals trained in positive psychology and counseling.
2.2. Measures
2.3. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)
2.4. WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5)
2.5. The Gratitude Questionnaire—Six-Item Form (GQ-6)
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Number | % | ||
---|---|---|---|
Age | 21–30 | 1 | 2.7 |
31–40 | 30 | 81.1 | |
41–50 | 6 | 16.2 | |
Social status | Married | 33 | 89.2 |
Divorced | 3 | 8.1 | |
Single | 1 | 2.7 | |
Are you currently working? | Yes | 19 | 51.4 |
No | 18 | 48.6 | |
Annual family income | <50,000 | 2 | 5.9 |
200,000–50,000 | 19 | 55.9 | |
>500,000 | 13 | 38.2 | |
Nationality | Saudi | 35 | 94.6 |
Non Saudi | 2 | 5.4 | |
Educational level | Secondary | 1 | 2.7 |
Bachelor | 26 | 70.3 | |
Postgraduate | 10 | 27.0 | |
Number of children | 1–2 | 17 | 47.2 |
3–4 | 18 | 50.0 | |
4–5 | 1 | 2.8 | |
Do you have a hobby? | No | 7 | 18.9 |
Yes | 30 | 81.1 | |
Do you express your feelings or events that happened in your day through writing? | No | 27 | 73.0 |
One per week | 6 | 16.2 | |
2–3 per week | 3 | 8.1 | |
daily | 1 | 2.7 | |
How many times have you document the gratitude situation? (Mean ± SD) | 9.29 | 5.98 | |
Did you feel that writing down attitudes of gratitude had a positive impact on you during the study period? | Yes | 31 | 83.8 |
Will you continue writing down after the end of school? | Yes | 32 | 86.5 |
Would you like to attend courses in the field of positive psychology in the future? | Yes | 32 | 86.5 |
Score | Pre | Post | p-Value | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | Mean | SD | ||
Depression (DASS 21) | 6.46 | 4.64 | 2.50 | 2.72 | <0.001 * |
Anxiety (DASS 21) | 5.95 | 5.00 | 2.81 | 2.82 | <0.001 * |
Stress (DASS 21) | 10.08 | 4.73 | 5.16 | 3.97 | <0.001 * |
Well-being (WHO-5) | 13.46 | 4.39 | 17.00 | 4.94 | 0.001 * |
Gratitude (GQ-6) | 35.86 | 4.70 | 41.09 | 13.45 | 0.001 * |
DASS 21 | Severity | Pre | Post | p Value | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | |||
Depression | Normal | 11 | 29.7 | 26 | 81.3 | <0.001 * |
Mild | 10 | 27.0 | 5 | 15.6 | ||
Moderate | 11 | 29.7 | 0 | 0 | ||
Severe | 1 | 2.7 | 1 | 3.1 | ||
Extremely Severe | 4 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | ||
Anxiety | Normal | 17 | 45.9 | 20 | 62.5 | 0.001 * |
Mild | 2 | 5.4 | 2 | 6.3 | ||
Moderate | 4 | 10.8 | 8 | 25.0 | ||
Severe | 2 | 5.4 | 1 | 3.1 | ||
Extremely Severe | 12 | 32.4 | 1 | 3.1 | ||
Stress | Normal | 12 | 32.4 | 24 | 75.0 | 0.184 |
Mild | 5 | 13.5 | 3 | 9.4 | ||
Moderate | 6 | 16.2 | 3 | 9.4 | ||
Severe | 12 | 32.4 | 2 | 6.3 | ||
Extremely Severe | 2 | 5.4 | 0 | 0 |
Depression | Anxiety | Stress | Well-Being | Gratitude | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | ||
Age | 21–30 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.430 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.404 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.793 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.232 | 35.00 | 0.00 | 0.945 |
31–40 | 6.97 | 4.81 | 6.40 | 5.06 | 10.33 | 5.03 | 13.03 | 4.06 | 35.97 | 4.76 | ||||||
41–50 | 4.50 | 3.51 | 4.33 | 4.89 | 8.83 | 3.43 | 16.33 | 5.32 | 35.50 | 5.24 | ||||||
Social status | Married | 6.73 | 4.65 | 0.625 | 6.21 | 5.09 | 0.605 | 10.36 | 4.89 | 0.329 | 13.52 | 4.60 | 0.886 | 35.42 | 4.76 | 0.101 |
Divorced | 5.00 | 5.20 | 4.67 | 4.51 | 8.00 | 2.65 | 13.67 | 2.52 | 40.33 | 1.15 | ||||||
Single | 2.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 | 0.00 | 11.00 | 0.00 | 37.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Are you currently working? | Yes | 6.05 | 3.96 | 0.939 | 5.74 | 4.58 | 0.915 | 10.00 | 4.03 | 0.855 | 13.74 | 4.43 | 0.772 | 36.00 | 4.62 | 0.951 |
No | 6.89 | 5.35 | 6.17 | 5.53 | 10.17 | 5.49 | 13.17 | 4.46 | 35.72 | 4.92 | ||||||
Annual family income | <50,000 | 6.50 | 6.36 | 0.762 | 7.00 | 2.83 | 0.547 | 9.50 | 0.71 | 0.763 | 12.50 | 2.12 | 0.718 | 40.00 | 1.41 | 0.334 |
200,000–50,000 | 5.95 | 2.90 | 5.11 | 4.27 | 10.37 | 4.10 | 13.74 | 3.63 | 35.58 | 5.16 | ||||||
>50,0000 | 7.31 | 5.68 | 6.77 | 6.06 | 9.77 | 5.60 | 11.62 | 4.50 | 35.46 | 4.50 | ||||||
Nationality | Saudi | 6.29 | 4.59 | 0.500 | 6.17 | 5.04 | 0.280 | 10.31 | 4.76 | 0.157 | 13.40 | 4.47 | 0.613 | 36.06 | 4.75 | 0.224 |
Non-Saudi | 9.50 | 6.36 | 2.00 | 1.41 | 6.00 | 0.00 | 14.50 | 3.54 | 32.50 | 2.12 | ||||||
Educational level | Secondary | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.401 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 0.520 | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.747 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.439 | 29.00 | 0.00 | 0.194 |
University | 7.27 | 4.87 | 6.77 | 5.21 | 10.42 | 4.88 | 13.27 | 4.36 | 35.54 | 5.12 | ||||||
Postgraduate | 4.10 | 3.38 | 4.10 | 4.23 | 8.90 | 4.51 | 14.30 | 4.72 | 37.40 | 2.76 | ||||||
Number of children | 1–2 | 5.65 | 4.33 | 0.669 | 4.71 | 4.24 | 0.193 | 8.94 | 4.62 | 0.346 | 13.41 | 4.76 | 0.605 | 36.41 | 4.70 | 0.177 |
3–4 | 7.50 | 5.00 | 7.61 | 5.40 | 11.11 | 4.84 | 13.83 | 4.29 | 34.94 | 4.75 | ||||||
4–5 | 6.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 42.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Do you have a hobby | No | 7.57 | 2.07 | 0.205 | 5.57 | 3.91 | 0.953 | 12.00 | 3.27 | 0.243 | 12.29 | 2.50 | 0.484 | 35.86 | 6.20 | 0.755 |
Yes | 6.20 | 5.05 | 6.03 | 5.28 | 9.63 | 4.94 | 13.73 | 4.72 | 35.87 | 4.42 | ||||||
Do you express your feelings or events that happened in your day through writing? | No | 6.52 | 4.77 | 0.726 | 5.96 | 5.17 | 0.688 | 10.30 | 5.23 | 0.962 | 13.48 | 4.47 | 0.952 | 35.81 | 4.76 | 0.096 |
One per week | 7.50 | 4.51 | 4.50 | 4.68 | 9.50 | 2.66 | 13.00 | 5.44 | 33.00 | 3.69 | ||||||
2–3 per week | 5.33 | 5.03 | 7.67 | 5.69 | 9.33 | 5.13 | 14.00 | 3.61 | 41.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
daily | 2.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 39.00 | 0.00 |
Depression | Anxiety | Stress | Well-Being | Gratitude | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | Mean | SD | p Value | ||
Age | 21–30 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.571 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.380 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.128 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 0.075 | 39.00 | 0.00 | 0.905 |
31–40 | 2.76 | 2.93 | 3.24 | 2.99 | 5.84 | 4.21 | 16.12 | 4.64 | 41.68 | 15.08 | ||||||
41–50 | 1.50 | 1.76 | 1.33 | 1.51 | 2.50 | 1.22 | 21.17 | 4.62 | 39.00 | 4.65 | ||||||
Social status | Married | 2.18 | 1.85 | 0.249 | 2.71 | 2.68 | 0.396 | 4.79 | 3.56 | 0.201 | 17.57 | 4.51 | 0.254 | 38.61 | 3.85 | 0.217 |
Divorced | 6.33 | 6.51 | 4.67 | 4.16 | 9.33 | 6.51 | 12.67 | 8.14 | 64.00 | 41.57 | ||||||
Single | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 42.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Are you currently working? | Yes | 2.67 | 3.25 | 0.892 | 3.11 | 2.78 | 0.428 | 5.83 | 4.46 | 0.503 | 16.39 | 5.97 | 0.492 | 42.39 | 17.85 | 0.696 |
No | 2.29 | 1.94 | 2.43 | 2.93 | 4.29 | 3.17 | 17.79 | 3.21 | 39.43 | 3.06 | ||||||
Annual family income | <50,000 | 9.50 | 4.95 | 0.022 * | 7.00 | 1.41 | 0.070 | 12.50 | 4.95 | 0.059 | 8.00 | 1.41 | 0.038 * | 40.00 | 0.00 | 0.892 |
200,000–50,000 | 2.29 | 1.69 | 2.82 | 2.92 | 5.29 | 3.46 | 17.35 | 4.80 | 42.71 | 18.35 | ||||||
>500,000 | 1.60 | 1.78 | 2.30 | 2.54 | 3.90 | 3.00 | 16.50 | 3.50 | 39.50 | 2.92 | ||||||
Nationality | Saudi | 2.50 | 2.81 | 0.722 | 2.87 | 2.90 | 0.937 | 5.23 | 4.08 | 0.844 | 16.73 | 4.98 | 0.137 | 41.17 | 13.90 | 1.000 |
Non-Saudi | 2.50 | 0.71 | 2.00 | 1.41 | 4.00 | 1.41 | 21.00 | 1.41 | 40.00 | 1.41 | ||||||
Educational level | University | 2.87 | 2.88 | 0.141 | 3.04 | 2.75 | 0.406 | 5.43 | 3.46 | 0.163 | 16.74 | 4.90 | 0.752 | 41.35 | 15.90 | 0.188 |
Postgraduate | 1.56 | 2.13 | 2.22 | 3.07 | 4.44 | 5.22 | 17.67 | 5.27 | 40.44 | 2.13 | ||||||
Number of children | 1–2 | 3.14 | 3.51 | 0.752 | 3.43 | 2.87 | 0.609 | 6.14 | 5.01 | 0.583 | 15.71 | 6.07 | 0.612 | 38.64 | 3.91 | 0.576 |
3–4 | 2.19 | 1.91 | 2.56 | 2.85 | 4.38 | 2.99 | 18.25 | 3.82 | 43.13 | 18.71 | ||||||
4–5 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 | 0.00 | 18.00 | 0.00 | 42.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
Do you have a hobby | No | 5.00 | 4.74 | 0.102 | 5.20 | 3.42 | 0.054 | 6.80 | 2.77 | 0.129 | 14.80 | 6.30 | 0.532 | 40.00 | 2.92 | 0.593 |
Yes | 2.04 | 1.99 | 2.37 | 2.53 | 4.85 | 4.12 | 17.41 | 4.68 | 41.30 | 14.63 | ||||||
Do you express your feelings or events that happened in your day through writing? | No | 2.39 | 3.01 | 0.386 | 2.78 | 2.95 | 0.433 | 5.30 | 3.75 | 0.194 | 16.91 | 5.09 | 0.385 | 41.65 | 15.76 | 0.347 |
One per week | 2.60 | 0.89 | 1.60 | 0.89 | 3.00 | 0.71 | 19.20 | 3.96 | 38.20 | 4.76 | ||||||
2–3 per week | 2.00 | 2.65 | 3.33 | 2.89 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 16.67 | 4.16 | 42.00 | 0.00 | ||||||
daily | 6.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 0.00 | 16.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 40.00 | 0.00 |
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AlHugail, M.A.; AlAteeq, D.A. Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Mothers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare 2025, 13, 1925. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13151925
AlHugail MA, AlAteeq DA. Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Mothers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare. 2025; 13(15):1925. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13151925
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlHugail, Munira Abdullah, and Deemah Ateeq AlAteeq. 2025. "Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Mothers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia" Healthcare 13, no. 15: 1925. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13151925
APA StyleAlHugail, M. A., & AlAteeq, D. A. (2025). Effects of a Positive Psychology Intervention on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Mothers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Healthcare, 13(15), 1925. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13151925