Fostering Happiness in Speech-Language Pathology Education: An Integrated Approach to Self-Care, Service, and Gratitude

Abstract

Background

This exploratory study evaluated the impact of a structured class project focusing on service, gratitude, and self-care on the happiness levels across three cohorts of speech-language pathology university students.

Method

Participants included 82 students from three cohorts: two undergraduate and one graduate. Over 15 weeks, students engaged in weekly activities from the three categories. Pre- and postintervention happiness levels were assessed using both the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and data from two survey questions.

Results

The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in overall happiness scores across all three cohorts, with service-to-others identified as the most impactful practice.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that psychoeducation and structured happiness-enhancing activities can effectively improve mental health among university students, especially those in helping professions. Integrating such interventions into educational settings could support student well-being, warranting further research on their long-term benefits and applicability across different fields.

Keywords

self-care - service - gratitude

Data Availability Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Informed Consent

The authors obtained informed consent from all participants in this study. No identifiable images or video and audio recordings from human research participants were collected as part of this research.

Note

Portions of this study were presented as a poster at the California Speech Language Hearing Association (March 2024) and at the American Speech Language Hearing Association Conference (December 2024).

Publication History

Received: 01 September 2025

Accepted: 12 November 2025

Article published online:
19 December 2025

• References

• Abrams, Z. (2022, October 12). Student mental health is in crisis. Campuses are rethinking their approach. Accessed November 18, 2025 at: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care
• American College Health Association (2017). American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2017. Accessed November 18, 2025 at: https://www.acha.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ncha-ii_fall_2017_reference_group_executive_summary.pdf
• Auerbach, R. P., Mortier, P., Bruffaerts, R., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., Ebert, D. D., Green, J. G., Hasking, P., Murray, E., Nock, M. K., Pinder-Amaker, S., Sampson, N. A., Stein, D. J., Vilagut, G., Zaslavsky, A. M., Kessler, R. C., & The WHO WMH-ICS Collaborators. (2018). WHO world mental health surveys international college student project: prevalence and distribution of mental disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 127(7), 623–638
• Beck, A. R., Seeman, S., Verticchio, H., & Rice, J. (2015). Yoga as a technique to reduce stress experienced by CSD graduate students. Contemporary Issues in Communication Science and Disorders, 42(Spring), 1–15
• Brito-Marcelino, A., Oliva-Costa, E. F., Sarmento, S. C. P., & Carvalho, A. A. (2020). Burnout syndrome in speech-language pathologists and audiologists: a review. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho: Publicacao Oficial da Associacao Nacional de Medicina do Trabalho-ANAMT, 18(2), 217–222
• Buchanan, K. E., & Bardi, A. (2010). Acts of kindness and acts of novelty affect life satisfaction. The Journal of Social Psychology, 150(3), 235–237
• Center for Collegiate Mental Health. (2022, January). 2021 Annual Report (Publication No. STA 22–132). Accessed November 18, 2025 at: https://ccmh.psu.edu/assets/docs/2021-ccmh-annual-report.pdf
• Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., Koole, S. L., Andersson, G., Beekman, A. T., & Reynolds, C. F., III. (2013). The efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in treating depressive and anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis of direct comparisons. World Psychiatry; Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 12(2), 137–148
• Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S. E., Golberstein, E., & Hefner, J. L. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality among university students. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(4), 534–542
• Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377–389
• Flynn, D. M., & MacLeod, S. (2015). Determinants of happiness in undergraduate university students. College Student Journal, 49(3), 452–460
• Giovanis, E., & Ozdamar, O. (2022). Who is left behind? Altruism of giving, happiness and mental health during the COVID-19 period in the UK. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17(1), 251–276
• Hills, P., & Argyle, M. (2002). The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: a compact scale for the measurement of psychological well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 33(7), 1073–1082
• Hood, B., Jelbert, S., & Santos, L. R. (2021). Benefits of a psychoeducational happiness course on university student mental well-being both before and during a COVID-19 lockdown. Health Psychology Open, 8(1), 2055102921999291
• Kalkbrenner, M. T., Sink, C. A., & Smith, J. L. (2020). Mental health literacy and peer-to-peer counseling referrals among community college students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 98(2), 172–182
• Kamtsios, S. (2023). The interplay of academic hardiness, passion for studies and affective experiences in undergraduates' happiness and GPA scores: a person-oriented approach. Psychological Studies, 68(3), 359–373
• Kausar, R. (2018, January 1). Relationship between gratitude and happiness in college students. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1). 10.15614/ijpp.v9i01.11752
• Kruisselbrink-Flatt, A. (2013). A suffering generation: six factors contributing to the mental health crisis in North American higher education. The College Quarterly, 16(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ej1016492
• Langevin, E. L. (2013). Undergraduate student happiness and academic performance: A correlation study. In ProQuest LLC
• Levy, K. N., Ehrenthal, J. C., Yeomans, F. E., & Caligor, E. (2014). The efficacy of psychotherapy: focus on psychodynamic psychotherapy as an example. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 42(3), 377–421
• Lucock, M., Gillard, S., Adams, K., Simons, L., White, R., & Edwards, C. (2011). Self-care in mental health services: a narrative review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 19(6), 602–616
• Macaskill, A. (2013). The mental health of university students in the United Kingdom. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 41(4), 426–441
• Malandraki, J. B. (2022). The case for addressing emotional resilience in graduate student training. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 7(1), 105–114
• Miller, J. J., & Reddin Cassar, J. (2021). Self-care among healthcare social workers: the impact of COVID-19. Social Work in Health Care, 60(1), 30–48
• O'Neill, M., Yoder Slater, G., & Batt, D. (2019). Social work student self-care and academic stress. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(1), 141–152
• Oswalt, S. B., Lederer, A. M., Chestnut-Steich, K., Day, C., Halbritter, A., & Ortiz, D. (2020). Trends in college students' mental health diagnoses and utilization of services, 2009-2015. Journal of American College Health, 68(1), 41–51
• Otake, K., Shimai, S., Tanaka-Matsumi, J., Otsui, K., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2006). Happy people become happier through kindness: a counting kindnesses intervention. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7(3), 361–375
• Post, S. G. (2005). Altuism, happiness, and health: it's good to be good. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12, 66–77
• Robbins, M., Francis, L. J., & Edwards, B. (2010). Happiness as stable extraversion: internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire among undergraduate students. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 29, 89–94
• Rowland, L., & Curry, O. S. (2019). A range of kindness activities boost happiness. The Journal of Social Psychology, 159(3), 340–343
• Savell, S. M., Lee, J., Stern, J. A., & Wilson, M. N. (2024). Exploring the benefits of psychoeducation on college students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of American College Health, 72(9), 3546–3555
• Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction (Vol. 55, No. 1, p. 5). American Psychological Association. Accessed November 18, 2025 at: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.5
• Skovholt, T. M., & Trotter-Mathison, M. (2014). The resilient practitioner: Burnout prevention and self-care strategies for counselors, therapists, teachers, and health professionals. Routledge. 10.4324/9780203893326
• Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006). How to increase and sustain positive emotion: the effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(2), 73–82
• Song, N., Hugh-Jones, S., West, R. M., Pickavance, J., & Mir, G. (2023). The effectiveness of anti-stigma interventions for reducing mental health stigma in young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Global Mental Health (Cambridge, England), 10, e39
• VanderWeele, T. J. (2017). On the promotion of human flourishing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(31), 8148–8156
• vanOyen Witvliet, C., Richie, F. J., Root Luna, L. M., & Van Tongeren, D. R. (2019). Gratitude predicts hope and happiness: a two-study assessment of traits and states. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 14(3), 271–282
• Xiao, H., Carney, D. M., Youn, S. J., Janis, R. A., Castonguay, L. G., Hayes, J. A., & Locke, B. D. (2017). Are we in crisis? National mental health and treatment trends in college counseling centers. Psychological Services, 14(4), 407–415
• Young, T., Macinnes, S., Jarden, A., & Colla, R. (2022). The impact of a wellbeing program imbedded in university classes: the importance of valuing happiness, baseline wellbeing and practice frequency. Studies in Higher Education, 47(4), 751–770