Expressing gratitude and visualising one’s best possible self: Assessing the effectiveness of a four-week intervention on affect and health behaviours during the COVID-19 lockdown

Tornquist, Michelle ORCID: 0000-0002-2160-9662, Herrmann, Eleanor and Chiappe, Dan (2023) Expressing gratitude and visualising one’s best possible self: Assessing the effectiveness of a four-week intervention on affect and health behaviours during the COVID-19 lockdown. Current Psychology. pp. 1-14.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05276-8

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This research examined affect and health behaviours over four weeks during consecutive COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom (UK), and the impact of expressing gratitude (EG) and visualising one’s best possible self (BPS) on these outcomes compared to a control condition<jats:italic>.</jats:italic> Participants (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic> = 145) took part in a 4-week intervention during lockdown and completed an EG, BPS, or control exercise and measures of affect and health behaviours once per week for four weeks. Results showed that participants reported increased positive affect and decreased negative affect, reduced food consumption, and lower levels of moderate and vigorous exercise, but no change in alcohol consumption and walking. There were, however, no significant effects of the interventions vs. control condition on any of the outcomes; these findings were also supported by Bayes factors<jats:italic>.</jats:italic> This research suggests that people changed their health behaviours and affect during the COVID-19 lockdown, but that BPS and EG interventions may not be viable interventions to promote these outcomes during intense crises such as COVID-19.</jats:p>

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Substance Misuse, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities, Prevention, Oral and gastrointestinal, Cardiovascular, Stroke, 3 Good Health and Well Being
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2023 09:45
Last Modified:	15 Mar 2024 15:28
DOI:	10.1007/s12144-023-05276-8
Related URLs:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3173860