Role of Gratitude and Social Support in Building Psychological Resilience amongst Left-Behind Children (LBC)

Parental migration for work is common in the Philippines, leaving many children to navigate life without their parent’s physical presence. This study examined how gratitude and social support influence the psychological resilience of 100 junior high school students aged 13–16 in Nueva Ecija. Using validated surveys and a descriptive-correlational design, the research measured levels of resilience, gratitude, and social support, with the data analyzed through SPSS. The results showed that students generally exhibited high resilience, gratitude, and social support levels. Gratitude emerged as a strong predictor of resilience, highlighting its key role in helping children adapt to challenges. While social support was positively linked to resilience, it wasn’t a significant predictor. Interestingly, the level of social support varied depending on which parent was absent, with those separated from both parents perceiving lower support than others. These findings emphasize the importance of cultivating gratitude to boost resilience in left-behind children. Schools and communities can help by implementing programs like gratitude journaling, peer support groups, and initiatives to maintain strong parent-child connections, even across distances. Future studies could explore other factors influencing resilience and use qualitative methods to understand these children’s unique experiences better.