The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support and Psychological Resilience in the Relationship between Gratitude and Depression Symptoms among Nurses

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating role of perceived social support and psychological resilience in the relationship between gratitude and depression symptoms. The research method was basic in objective and correlational and structural equation analysis in data collection. A total of 219 individuals (82 males and 137 females) were selected from the statistical population of nurses working in Tehran in the second half of 2020 using the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale (CDRS), Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6), Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceives Social Support (MSPSS). Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling were performed to analyze the data using SPSS-23 and AMOS-21. The results showed that the direct effect of gratitude (β = -0.19, P<0.001), the direct effect of perceived social support (β= -0.32, P<0.001), and the direct effect of psychological resilience (β = -0.41, p < 0.001) on depression symptoms were significantly negative. In addition, the results showed that perceived social support (β = -0.11, P < 0.01) and psychological resilience (β = -0.16, P < 0.01) had a significant mediating role in the relationship between gratitude and depression symptoms. The results of the current study suggest that gratitude may increase perceived social support and resilience and protect nurses from depression, which has applications for clinical interventions for nurses during the coronavirus pandemic.