Positive psychology: gratitude and its role within mental health nursing

This is the fifth article in a series of articles that explores the meaning of positive psychology and the importance of applying the latest related research findings for the wellbeing of the mental health workforce. It will focus on gratitude as a positive psychology intervention in its present day use in mental health nursing. It will explain what gratitude is and what it is not combined with the complementary underpinning theoretical work of Robert Emmons. It reports on neurological changes when gratitude is practised and is applied to a contemporary event linked to trauma. Finally it emphasises the importance of effective leadership in how the application of gratitude can benefit the individual, the organisation and the client. The practical tasks provided in the boxes throughout the article will help the reader identify what gratitude means for them and understand how to further develop its transferability through evidence-based, user friendly exercises