This exploratory study evaluated the impact of a structured class project focusing on service, gratitude, and self-care on the happiness levels across three cohorts of speech-language pathology university students.

Participants included 82 students from three cohorts: two undergraduate and one graduate. Over 15 weeks, students engaged in weekly activities from the three categories. Pre- and postintervention happiness levels were assessed using both the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and data from two survey questions.

The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in overall happiness scores across all three cohorts, with service-to-others identified as the most impactful practice.

These findings suggest that psychoeducation and structured happiness-enhancing activities can effectively improve mental health among university students, especially those in helping professions. Integrating such interventions into educational settings could support student well-being, warranting further research on their long-term benefits and applicability across different fields.

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

The authors obtained informed consent from all participants in this study. No identifiable images or video and audio recordings from human research participants were collected as part of this research.

Portions of this study were presented as a poster at the California Speech Language Hearing Association (March 2024) and at the American Speech Language Hearing Association Conference (December 2024).

Received: 01 September 2025

Accepted: 12 November 2025

Article published online:
19 December 2025

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