Predictive Factors for Well-being of Vietnamese Undergraduate Students and Gratitude Journaling Intervention

Abstract

The current study investigated the impact of predictive factors on the well-being of undergraduates in Ho Chi Minh City. Those factors were relationship satisfaction, academic achievement satisfaction, and financial well-being. Besides, the study explored the effectiveness of gratitude journaling in increasing students’ well-being. There are two phases in this study, in the first phase, referred to as study 1, a total of 102 undergraduates from twenty-two universities in Ho Chi Minh City were surveyed. After being controlled for individual differences in socio-economic status, the multiple linear regression results showed that satisfaction in the relationship and academic achievement positively predicted overall well-being, while financial well-being did not make a significant contribution. In the second phase, which is study 2, forty-five participants from study 1 agreed to move on to this phase, where they were randomly divided into two groups for a controlled pre and post-experiment. The experimental group practiced self-guided gratitude journaling for seven days. Analysis of covariance assessment was made to evaluate the impact model and the improvement of participants’ well-being before and after the experiment. Results showed that the difference in well-being between the control and experimental group was insignificant and did not come directly from practicing gratitude journaling, but might indicate individual and cultural differences in well-being. Further research on cross-cultural differences and standardized protocol is encouraged.