Objectives: Virtues have been recognized as central to human flourishing and psychological well-being. This study tested whether three dispositional virtues, i.e., mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness, show distinct and overlapping associations with psychological distress, subjective well-being, and emotion-regulation difficulties in adults. Methods: A sample of Italian community adults (N = 211; 151 women, 60 men; mean age = 28.63, standard deviation SD = 10.89) completed self-report questionnaires assessing mindfulness, gratitude, forgiveness, psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), psychological well-being (subjective happiness, life satisfaction), and emotion regulation difficulties. Sex, age, and lifetime meditation experience were covariates. Results: Correlation analysis showed higher virtues related to lower distress and higher well-being. In multivariable models, mindfulness and gratitude uniquely predicted lower depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas forgiveness was non-significant for distress. For well-being, all three virtues were positive, unique predictors, with gratitude and forgiveness showing comparatively stronger links than mindfulness. Emotion-regulation difficulties were lower with higher mindfulness and forgiveness, whereas gratitude was non-significant. Mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness form a complementary virtues profile, where different virtues reinforce each other, i.e., mindfulness and gratitude align more with reduced distress, gratitude and forgiveness with enhanced well-being, and mindfulness together with forgiveness with better emotion regulation. Conclusion: Mindfulness, gratitude, and forgiveness each contribute uniquely to mental health: mindfulness and gratitude relate more to reduced distress, gratitude and forgiveness to enhanced well-being, and mindfulness and forgiveness to better emotion regulation. Together, they form a complementary virtues profile that supports psychological flourishing and may inform future virtue-based prevention and intervention programs.
Chiarella et al. (2026) studied this question.