Abstract

This study investigates the relationships among religious practices, gratitude, and happiness through a positive psychology lens in Vietnam. Although previous research has largely focused on Western contexts, this study addresses a gap by examining these dynamics in a Southeast Asian collectivist culture. Using a mix of methods, three hundred Vietnamese participants from diverse religious and nonreligious backgrounds completed validated measures of religious commitment, gratitude, and subjective happiness, complemented by thirty in-depth qualitative interviews. The findings showed a clear positive relation between religious seeking and gratitude, which acts as a mediator to boost subjective well-being. People who took part most in religious activities such as prayer, meditation, and group worship reported the highest levels of gratitude and, thus, the highest happiness. This study suggests that religious and gratitude-based approaches could help in mental health and spiritual counseling programs. The study also adds to the growing body of work on how psychology and spirituality interact to affect well-being across cultures and religious communities in Vietnam and similar collectivist societies.