Leila Hoeschen Ehrbright
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Leila Hoeschen Ehrbright has a total of 2 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Angela U. Ekwonye
St. Catherine University, Saint Paul, USA
2 shared publications - Sophi M. Cahalan
Department of Public Health, Henrietta Schmoll School of Health, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA
2 shared publications
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 9 April 2026
- Published by MDPI AG in Social Sciences
- Vol. 15 (4) , 244
Do Gratitude Expression, Acts of Kindness, Positive Reframing, and Applying Character Strengths Improve Subjective Well-Being? Evidence from University Students
The well-being of university students is deteriorating, highlighting the need for accessible, non-stigmatizing supports beyond clinical care. Positive psychology (PP) interventions have shown strong potential for improving mental well-being, yet they remain largely underutilized in Nigerian universities. This pilot study evaluated the impact of an eight-week education and intervention incorporating acts of kindness, gratitude, positive reframing, and character strengths in improving subjective well-being among university students in Nigeria. Students were assigned randomly to an education + PP group or an education-only control group and assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Independent-samples t-tests were used to examine group differences in outcomes, while mixed-design ANOVA models assessed the effects of group and time. Compared with controls, the intervention group showed significantly higher mental well-being, positive affect, and resilience, with moderate to large effects. While significant main effects emerged across outcomes, time-by-group interactions were observed only for positive affect and resilience. Given rising psychological distress among Nigerian university students, these preliminary results showed that brief, strengths-based PP exercises can meaningfully improve students’ subjective well-being. They can serve as low-cost, non-stigmatizing additions to university mental health services and a scalable complement to traditional care in low-resource settings.
- 9 April 2026
- Published by MDPI AG in Social Sciences
- Vol. 15 (4) , 244
Open AccessDo Gratitude Expression, Acts of Kindness, Positive Reframing, and Applying Character Strengths Improve Subjective Well-Being? Evidence from University Students
The well-being of university students is deteriorating, highlighting the need for accessible, non-stigmatizing supports beyond clinical care. Positive psychology (PP) interventions have shown strong potential for improving mental well-being, yet they remain largely underutilized in Nigerian universities. This pilot study evaluated the impact of an eight-week education and intervention incorporating acts of kindness, gratitude, positive reframing, and character strengths in improving subjective well-being among university students in Nigeria. Students were assigned randomly to an education + PP group or an education-only control group and assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Independent-samples t-tests were used to examine group differences in outcomes, while mixed-design ANOVA models assessed the effects of group and time. Compared with controls, the intervention group showed significantly higher mental well-being, positive affect, and resilience, with moderate to large effects. While significant main effects emerged across outcomes, time-by-group interactions were observed only for positive affect and resilience. Given rising psychological distress among Nigerian university students, these preliminary results showed that brief, strengths-based PP exercises can meaningfully improve students’ subjective well-being. They can serve as low-cost, non-stigmatizing additions to university mental health services and a scalable complement to traditional care in low-resource settings.