Examining the effectiveness of a gratitude-oriented spiritual group guidance program.

The main aim of the study is to investigate the effects of the Gratitude-Based Spiritual Group Guidance Program (GSGGP) on gratitude expression, internal spirituality, sense of meaning, and tranquility. Although the research sample was initially intended to be comprised of students residing in the higher education dormitories of Samsun province during the academic year 2022-2023, due to the disaster of February 6th, the research scope also includes students enrolled in universities in Ordu, Kocaeli, and Amasya. Using a quasi-experimental design employing pre-test-post-test control group, the study compares the experimental group receiving the GSGGP intervention with a control group receiving no intervention. The experimental group consists of 44 university students aged between 18 and 30 (X̅ = 21.55 ± 2.16), including 5 males and 39 females. Findings indicate significant differences in gratitude expression scores between groups at post-test, highlighting the potential impact of the intervention. Within the experimental group, intragroup analysis reveals statistically significant increases in gratitude expression and internal spiritual experiences. Furthermore, the experimental group demonstrates improvements in various dimensions of spiritual well-being, including experiences related to peace and sense of meaning. Overall, the GSGGP demonstrates potential to affect gratitude expression, internal spirituality, and spiritual well-being, providing insights into its multifaceted impact and role in personal development. Keywords: Gratitude Intervention, Group Guidance, Quasi-Experimental Design, Spiritual Counseling