Open Access

ARTICLE

Differential Contributions of Mindfulness, Gratitude, and Forgiveness to Psychological Distress, Well-Being, and Emotion Regulation: A Cross-Sectional Study

Salvatore G. Chiarella^1,*, Alessandro Frolli¹, Antonella Cavallaro^1,2, Antonino Raffone^3,4, Luca Simione^1,5

1 Department of International Humanities and Social Sciences, Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (UNINT), Rome, Italy
2 Department of Health Psychology and Science Communication, San Raffaele Telematic University, Rome, Italy
3 Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
4 School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religions, Nalanda University, Rajgir, India
5 Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy

* Corresponding Author: Salvatore G. Chiarella. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological Well-being and Psychopathology in the New Millennium: Evolving Paradigms, Challenges, and Resources)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(4), 3 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.072949

Received 08 September 2025; Accepted 24 February 2026; Issue published 28 April 2026

Abstract

Objectives: Virtues have been recognized as central to human flourishing and psychological well-being. This study tested whether three dispositional virtues, i.e., mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness, show distinct and overlapping associations with psychological distress, subjective well-being, and emotion-regulation difficulties in adults. Methods: A sample of Italian community adults (N = 211; 151 women, 60 men; mean age = 28.63, standard deviation [SD] = 10.89) completed self-report questionnaires assessing mindfulness, gratitude, forgiveness, psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), psychological well-being (subjective happiness, life satisfaction), and emotion regulation difficulties. Sex, age, and lifetime meditation experience were covariates. Results: Correlation analysis showed higher virtues related to lower distress and higher well-being. In multivariable models, mindfulness and gratitude uniquely predicted lower depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas forgiveness was non-significant for distress. For well-being, all three virtues were positive, unique predictors, with gratitude and forgiveness showing comparatively stronger links than mindfulness. Emotion-regulation difficulties were lower with higher mindfulness and forgiveness, whereas gratitude was non-significant. Mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness form a complementary virtues profile, where different virtues reinforce each other, i.e., mindfulness and gratitude align more with reduced distress, gratitude and forgiveness with enhanced well-being, and mindfulness together with forgiveness with better emotion regulation. Conclusion: Mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness each contribute uniquely to mental health: mindfulness and gratitude relate more to reduced distress, gratitude and forgiveness to enhanced well-being, and mindfulness and forgiveness to better emotion regulation. Together, they form a complementary virtues profile that supports psychological flourishing and may inform future virtue-based prevention and intervention programs.

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Keywords

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