MUSLIM AND BUDDHIST GRATITUDE PRACTICES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS FOR CULTURALLY SENSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Gratitude practices in religious contexts have been shown to improve psychological well-being, but little is known about these practices among a variety of cultural and religious groups. The objective of this systematic review is to fill in this gap by examining the gratitude practices within two distinct religions Muslim and Buddhism. This is the first review comparing gratitude practices in these two religions and examining their psychological benefits, while providing recommendations for mental health professionals that are culturally sensitive. We carried out literature search in the databases of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from years 2015 to 2024. Search terms were "Buddhist gratitude practices," "Muslim gratitude practices", "psychological benefits", and "gratitude interventions." Out of 480 identified records, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results indicate that Buddhist practices involving thankfulness, which in turn are related to mindfulness and meditative aspects, significantly improve the emotional stability, strengthens personality and reduce stress. Muslim gratitude practices are instrumental in reinforcing mental health, elevating happiness, and building resilience. These findings provide a schema for the implementation of culturally informed gratitude interventions into therapy, particularly within multicultural contexts where Western approaches may be less effective. Future research should explore gratitude practices across broader cultural contexts including comparisons between secular and religious approaches.