Relations among gratitude, adaptation to disability, and flourishing among adults with disabilities: A longitudinal mediation model

Abstract

Purpose/objective: Flourishing, a primary outcome of rehabilitation psychology, is understudied among adults with disabilities. Gratitude has emerged as an individual strength that is both malleable and robust in predicting flourishing and adaptation to disability. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of gratitude on flourishing over time and to analyze the potential mediating role of adaptation to disability on this relationship for a group of adults with disabilities.

Research method/design: Data were collected at 3 time points over 21 months (N = 429). A single mediator model with external demographic variables was tested to determine the relationship of gratitude (Time 1) with adaptation to disability (Time 2) and flourishing (Time 3). Approximately 40% of the initial sample was retained across all time points.

Results: Gratitude predicted later flourishing and adaptation to disability accounted for a significant portion of this relationship, accounting for 27% of the total effect.

Conclusions/implications: Results of this single mediator model indicate that adaptation to disability serves as a partial mediator of the relationship between gratitude and flourishing, with both gratitude and adaptation to disability having a significantly positive influence on flourishing. Understanding gratitude's influence on later adaptation and flourishing provides data to inform rehabilitation psychology interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).