Optimism and Pessimism in Social Context: An Interpersonal Perspective on Resilience and Risk

Does Perceived Generativity Mediate the Association Between Optimism and Cognitive Function Over Time? Findings from Midlife in the United States Study

Cognitive function is a vital component of healthy aging. However, whether a persistently high optimism benefits late-life cognitive function is debatable. The current study examined associations between high optimism status, perceived generativity, and cognitive functions across adulthood. Data were from waves 2 and 3 (2004-14) of the Midlife in the United States study. We used structural equation modeling to examine whether participants' (N = 2,205; Mage = 65 ± 11) persistent high optimism predicts better cognitive functions over time, compared to high optimism at only one time-point or not at all while controlling for covariates; we also examined whether individuals' perceived generativity mediates the above association. The findings revealed that persistent high optimism was significantly associated with better episodic memory and executive function. Further, perceived generativity positively mediated the association between persistent high optimism and episodic memory. Future research should examine mechanisms for potential aspects of high optimism and perceived generativity on late-life cognitive performances.

Impact of Optimism on Cognitive Performance of People Living in Rural Area: Findings From a 20-Year Study in US Adults

Objectives: Mid- or early-late-life cognitive function is an indicator for developing late-life dementia. However, it is still unclear whether rural/urban living contexts provide cognitive benefits across adulthood. Further, higher optimism serves as a general protective factor for many health outcomes. The present study examines associations between rurality/urbanicity, optimism, and change in mid/late-life cognitive functions over time. Methods: Data were from waves 1 to 3 (1995-2015) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study (N = 2,507). Structural equation models examine whether long-term rural living across both waves (1-2) or intermittent rural living at one wave is associated with better cognitive function over 20 years, compared to no rural living, while controlling for prior cognitive function and covariates (baseline socio-demographics, health, and functional status). Additionally, we assessed if optimism mediates the above associations. Results: After controlling for covariates, long-term rural living (waves 1-2) was indirectly (through less optimism) associated with significantly lower levels of cognitive executive function and episodic memory in wave 3. Conclusions: While long-term rural living and cognitive outcomes have no direct association for MIDUS middle-aged and older adults, mediating roles of optimism in these associations were evident. Future investigations could examine mechanisms that underlie these risk/protective factors on late-life cognition.

The relationship between optimism, MCI, and dementia among postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVES

The relationship between optimism and cognitive functioning is not fully understood. We examined the association of optimism with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS).

METHODS

Optimism was measured by the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) total score, and optimism and pessimism subscales. A panel of experts adjudicated cognitive endpoints based on annual cognitive assessments. We used cox proportional hazard regression models to examine the association of LOT-R total score and optimism and pessimism sub-scores with MCI/dementia. We also examined the relationship between vascular disease, LOT-R total score, optimism and pessimism, and cognition.

RESULTS

Mean age was 70.5 (SD = 3.9) years. The sample (N = 7249) was 87% white, and 29.8% of participants had < 12 years of education. Total LOT-R score (HR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98, p < 0.001) was associated with lower risk of combined MCI or dementia. More pessimism (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.11, p < 0.0001) was associated with higher risk of MCI or dementia after adjustment for ethnicity, education, vascular disease, and depression. No significant relationships emerged from the optimism subscale.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that less pessimism, but not more optimism, was associated with a lower risk of MCI and dementia.

The effect of abusive supervision variability on work-family conflict: The role of psychological detachment and optimism

Although a number of studies have examined the effects of abusive supervision variability, which refers to leaders engaging in differential abuse toward different subordinates within the team on work-related outcomes, scant research has investigated whether and how abusive supervision variability affects non-work outcomes. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, the current study explores how abusive supervision variability affects work-family conflict through psychological detachment, as well as the moderating role of optimism. Results based on a survey of 260 employees from nine companies show that abusive supervision variability is significantly and positively related to work-family conflict. Psychological detachment mediates the effect of abusive supervision variability on work-family conflict. Optimism moderates the relationship between abusive supervision variability and psychological detachment and the indirect effects of abusive supervision variability on work-family conflict through psychological detachment. This study extends the literature on the effects of abusive supervision variability and provides several important practical implications.

Parental Optimism Improves Youth Psychological Well-Being: Family Cohesion and Youth Optimism as Serial Mediators

Focusing on the family system, this study simultaneously examined the effects of the parental factor, family functioning, and individual factor on youth psychological well-being. Overall, 332 youths and their parents were involved in this research and responded to an online questionnaire measuring parental optimism, family cohesion, youth optimism, and youth psychological well-being. The results suggested that (1) parental optimism was positively related to youth psychological well-being; (2) both family cohesion and youth optimism mediated the connection between parental optimism and youth psychological well-being; and (3) the link between parental optimism and youth psychological well-being was mediated by family cohesion and youth optimism in sequence. The present study reveals the underlying mechanism of how to improve youth psychological well-being from within the family system.

Examining Intra- and Inter-Personal Health Effects of Optimism and Pessimism: The Role of Subjective Well-Being in Romantic Couples

Recent meta-analytic research suggests that the absence of pessimism could be a stronger predictor of physical health than the presence of optimism (Scheier et al., 2021a). The present study examined the role of subjective well-being in the effects of optimism and pessimism on physical health in romantic couples. It was hypothesized that pessimism would be more strongly associated with both well-being and health than optimism, intra- and inter-personally. Subjective well-being was also expected to explain variance in the associations between optimism, pessimism, and health. A baseline sample of 153 opposite-sex couples completed various measures of subjective well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and depressive symptoms) and physical health (e.g., subjective health, sleep efficiency, physical symptoms, cold symptoms, and chronic illness). Results of actor-partner interdependence models showed that the absence of pessimism, but not the presence of optimism, was associated with better physical health at baseline and over time. Pessimism was also a stronger predictor than optimism of baseline levels in some indicators of subjective well-being. These effects were obtained intra- and inter-personally. Finally, subjective well-being explained variance in some of the effects of pessimism on levels of physical health. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

Intimate Relationships and Coronary Heart Disease: Implications for Risk, Prevention, and Patient Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Research and clinical services addressing psychosocial aspects of coronary heart disease (CHD) typically emphasize individuals, focusing less on the context of intimate relationships such as marriage and similar partnerships. This review describes current evidence regarding the role of intimate relationships in the development, course, and management of CHD.

RECENT FINDINGS

Having an intimate partner is associated with reduced risk of incident CHD and a better prognosis among patients, but strain (e.g., conflict) and disruption (i.e., separation, divorce) in these relationships are associated with increased risk and poor outcomes. These associations likely reflect mechanisms involving health behavior and the physiological effects of emotion and stress. Importantly, many other well-established psychosocial risk and protective factors (e.g., low SES, job stress, depression, and optimism) are strongly related to the quality of intimate relationships, and these associations likely contribute to the effects of those other psychosocial factors. For better or worse, intimate partners can also affect the outcome of efforts to alter health behaviors (physical activity, diet, smoking, and medication adherence) central in the prevention and management CHD. Intimate partners also influence-and are influenced by-stressful aspects of acute coronary crises and longer-term patient adjustment and management. Evidence on each of these roles of intimate relationships in CHD is considerable, but direct demonstrations of the value of couple assessments and interventions are limited, although preliminary research is promising. Research needed to close this gap must also address issues of diversity, disparities, and inequity that have strong parallels in CHD and intimate relationships.

Linkage of Optimism With Depressive Symptoms Among the Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Dyads at 2 Years Post Stroke: Dyadic Mediation Approach

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms are substantial among stroke survivors and their caregivers in poststroke management. Optimism and social support are known to protect against depressive symptoms. However, little is known about how optimism and social support contribute to depressive symptoms among stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. The study's purpose was to examine actor and partner effects of optimism on depressive symptoms through perceived social support among stroke survivors and caregiver dyads in the chronic stage of rehabilitation.

METHODS

Stroke survivors and caregivers (N = 105 dyads) completed the survey at 2 years of follow-up after the first stroke. Depressive symptoms, optimism, and perceived social support were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression, the Life Orientation Test, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Extended to Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of optimism on depressive symptoms through perceived social support.

RESULTS

Higher optimism was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms for caregivers (direct actor effect, -0.6844; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.9844 to -0.3844) and stroke survivors (direct partner effect, -0.4189; 95% CI, -0.0789 to -0.0889). Perceived social support availability significantly mediated the association between optimism and depressive symptoms for stroke survivors (indirect effect, -0.1957; 95% CI, -0.3923 to -0.0670). Caregiver perceived social support availability was also a significant mediator between caregivers' optimism and stroke survivors' depressive symptoms (indirect effect, 0.1658; 95% CI, 0.0559-0.3128).

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention improving dyad members' optimism and social support would be beneficial to improve depressive symptoms of the stroke survivors and caregivers in chronic stroke management.

The Relationship Between Racial Prejudice and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Risk at the State and County Level

BACKGROUND

Robust evidence shows that perceived discrimination among stigmatized groups is associated with negative health outcomes. However, little work has examined whether holding prejudiced attitudes toward others is associated with health risks for prejudiced individuals.

PURPOSE

The study is a test of the hypothesis that holding prejudicial attitudes has negative health implications for both the holders and targets of prejudicial attitudes.

METHODS

The project connected data (2003-2015) at the state and county levels on average explicit and implicit prejudice held by White, Black, and Native American respondents from Project Implicit with data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality for White, Black, and Native American individuals from the CDC Wonder database. Separate analyses regressed implicit and explicit prejudice on CVD mortality risk for White, Black, and Native American individuals, respectively.

RESULTS

At the state level, among White individuals, explicit prejudice toward Blacks (β = .431, p =.037) and implicit prejudice toward Native Americans (β = .283, p = .045) were positively associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. At the county level, White individuals' implicit prejudice toward Blacks (β =.081, p = .015) and Black individuals' implicit prejudice toward Whites (β = -.066, p = .018) were associated with greater CVD mortality for Whites. Also, at the county-level, among Black individuals, higher implicit (β = -.133, p < .001) and explicit (β = -.176, p < .001) prejudice toward Whites predicted CVD mortality for Blacks. Moreover, explicit prejudice held by White individuals was positively associated with Blacks' county-level CVD deaths (β = .074, p = .036).

CONCLUSIONS

This evidence suggests that across racial groups, holding racial prejudice is associated with CVD mortality risk for both the prejudiced and the stigmatized groups. Future research should verify the reliability of this potential public health effect with additional work explicating moderators and mediators to inform surveillance and interventions.

Optimism, pessimism and support in older couples: A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

Optimism is linked to varied advantageous outcomes, ranging from improved health to better relationships, while pessimism is linked to reduced well-being. Relatively little is known about how optimism and pessimism may work together to shape the perception of support within marital relationships, and whether perceived support can affect couple-members' optimism and pessimism.

METHOD

We used three waves of a nationally representative sample of older couples (N = 1681 couples), spanning a period of eight years. Partners reported perceived support, optimism, and pessimism in each wave. We used a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to test within- and between-person effects.

RESULTS

At the within-person level, husbands', but not wife's, future expectations were associated with partners' perceived marital support; increases in husbands' pessimism on a given wave were related to decreases in husbands' perceived marital support at the next wave, and vice versa (i.e., actor effect). Within the same wave, increases in husbands' pessimism were associated with wives' decreased perceived marital support. At the between-person level, both partners' optimism and pessimism were associated with marital support.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that changes in husbands' levels of pessimism propel marital support experiences of both partners. At the methodological level, results highlight the importance of examining interpersonal processes at both the within- and between-levels of analyses, as they may yield divergent patterns.

Applying the RISE Model of Resilience in Partners Post-Stroke: A Qualitative Analysis

BACKGROUND

Resilience is dynamic and influenced by internal and external factors. In persons with chronic illness and/or disability, resilience is viewed as the ability to adapt to new life circumstances. Existing models of resilience typically focus on the absence of deficit and pathology in the individual, overlooking resources, well-being, and broader social impacts. Our proposed novel Relational, Intrapersonal, Social and Environmental (RISE) Model of resilience incorporates and describes the interconnection and influence of constructs that impact resilience and affect the quality of life.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to examine the fit of the RISE Model against original interview data obtained from persons with stroke and their partners.

METHODS

This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected from post-intervention interviews that were part of an intervention pilot study designed to promote resilience in couples coping with stroke. Interviews were coded to examine relationships between RISE Model constructs.

RESULTS

The study included 36 interviews from 18 cohabitating couples; mean participant age was 53.33 years (SD ±14.70). Examples of each construct within the RISE Model appeared in transcribed interviews and common patterns of co-occurring constructs were identified.

CONCLUSION

The constructs within the RISE Model were supported by the interviews. The impact of disability does not remain confined to a single individual and instead branches out into the broader social context, including close interpersonal relationships. A deeper understanding of resilience and its relationship with intrapersonal, interpersonal and socio-ecological constructs would add value to our understanding and fostering of resilience in persons with disabilities and/or chronic illness.

CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION

NCT03335358.

Optimism, pessimism, and health biomarkers in older couples

OBJECTIVE

Studies have demonstrated the importance of optimism in predicting perceived general health. However, the handful of studies focusing on cardiovascular biomarkers show inconsistent effects. Additionally, no study examined whether spousal levels of optimism and pessimism affect an individual's biological markers of cardiovascular health. Thus, our objectives were to examine whether partners' optimism and pessimism affect individual biological markers, differentiating between between-dyad associations and within-dyad predictive processes.

METHODS

Three waves of the Health and Retirement Study collected in 2006, 2010, and 2014 were used to test actor and partner effects of optimism and pessimism on C-reactive protein (CRP) and high-density lipoprotein. Multilevel longitudinal actor-partner models were used to examine the contribution of a partner's optimism and pessimism to each biomarker, adjusting for respondent's age, sex, depression, body mass index, daily activity levels, and a summary score of respondent's doctor-diagnosed chronic conditions.

RESULTS

Partners' pessimism and optimism levels were moderately associated. Results for within-person effects were all non-significant, both within and across waves. Associations at the between-person level were also non-significant, with the exception of a positive association between husbands' pessimism and their own CRP, and husbands' optimism and their wives' CRP.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that optimism and pessimism may not play a pertinent role in within variability of biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases and have a minor role in predicting to between-person variability of biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases.

Sexual Satisfaction Among Infertile Couples: Demographics and Psychosocial Health Factors

The purpose of the current study was to explore sexual satisfaction among infertile couples in Jordan and its associations with psychosocial and sociodemographic factors. Using a descriptive correlational design, 248 infertile couples from outpatient clinics were recruited and filled out a questionnaire on sexual satisfaction, in addition to perceived social support, depressive symptoms, psychological stress, coping skills, optimism, life satisfaction, and sociodemographics. Sexual satisfaction was significantly and positively correlated with perceived social support, optimism, life satisfaction, and coping. Stronger association was observed between sexual satisfaction and optimism. No difference was found in sexual satisfaction in relation to participants' gender, age, working status, or education. This study highlights the importance of building mental health nurses' competence to provide education and counseling on sexuality to improve the quality of life of infertile couples and optimize their sexual wellness. The most recent guidelines for psychosocial care for infertile couples are discussed. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(9), 40-47.].

Dispositional optimism and physical health: A long look back, a quick look forward

Dispositional optimism is the generalized, relatively stable tendency to expect good outcomes across important life domains. This article provides a representative review of 30 years of research on dispositional optimism and physical well-being. Assessment of optimism is described, along with data regarding its stability. A review of the research linking optimism and physical health is then presented. Included in the review are initial studies suggesting that optimism and physical well-being might be linked as well as more recent, larger scale epidemiological studies that make the point more emphatically. Also considered are potential pathways-behavioral, biological, and social-that might explain these associations. The article concludes with a brief look to the future, describing several issues and questions that still need to be answered. These questions include the relationship of optimism and pessimism to each other (and the implications of that relationship for physical well-being), the origins of optimism and pessimism, and interventions that might be implemented to reduce the negative impact of a pessimistic outlook. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion, Social Relationships, and Physical Health: Concepts, Methods, and Evidence for an Integrative Perspective

Emotional characteristics and processes are robust predictors of the development and course of major medical illnesses and premature mortality, as are a variety of indicators of the presence and quality of personal relationships. Despite clear evidence of close interconnection between these two domains of risk and protection, affective characteristics and relationships have largely been studied separately as influences on health. After a recent conference on integrative perspectives on emotions, relationships and health co-sponsored by the American Psychosomatic Society and the Society for Affective Science, the present review builds on prior calls for integration, related theory, and current research to outline what is known about the interconnection of these domains as it specifically relates to their overlapping influences on health. Areas of interest include the following: their interconnected roles over the course of development, which may inform current efforts to understand the influence of early life events on adult health; the parallel positive and negative factors in both domains that could have distinct influences on health; the role of emotion regulation in relationship contexts; and measurement, design, and analysis approaches to capture the dyadic and dynamic aspects of these interconnected influences on health. We conclude with a discussion of an emerging research agenda that includes the following: common biological foundations of affective and relationship processes, the cultural embeddedness of affective and relationship processes, the potential contribution of affective-relational processes to health disparities, and implications for intervention research.

Employee optimism in India: validation of the POSO-E

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to validate the short version of personal optimism and self-efficacy optimism scale developed by Gavrilov-Jerkovic et al. (2014) on a sample of 398 employees working in private and public sector organizations in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study needs to test the psychometric properties of the Indian version of scale by using exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity, discriminant validity and confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

The results supported for the two-dimensional factor-structure of optimism in consonance with Gavrilov-Jerkovic et al. (2014).

Research limitations/implications

The findings will benefit both the management and the employees. Also, the study expands the existing literature on the variable in the Indian context.

Originality/value

The work validates and provides a unique instrument to measure the employee optimism that can help the management and the employees to focus on themselves to increase the positivity to provide an innovative and creative environment. Also, the work supplements the existing literature on positive attitude or outcome expectancies and helps in establishing the bi-dimensional nature of the construct of optimism.

Mismatch in Spouses' Anger-Coping Response Styles and Risk of Early Mortality: A 32-Year Follow-Up Study

OBJECTIVE

Research in psychosomatic medicine includes a long history of studying how responses to anger-provoking situations are associated with health. In the context of a marriage, spouses may differ in their anger-coping response style. Where one person may express anger in response to unfair, aggressive interpersonal interactions, his/her partner may instead suppress anger. Discordant response styles within couples may lead to increased relational conflict, which, in turn, may undermine long-term health. The current study sought to examine the association between spouses' anger-coping response styles and mortality status 32 years later.

METHODS

The present study used data from a subsample of married couples (N = 192) drawn from the Life Change Event Study to create an actor-partner interdependence model.

RESULTS

Neither husbands' nor wives' response styles predicted their own or their partners' mortality. Wives' anger-coping response style, however, significantly moderated the association of husbands' response style on mortality risk 32 years later, β = -0.18, -0.35 to -0.01, p = .039. Similarly, husbands' response style significantly moderated the association of wives' response style and their later mortality, β = -0.24, -0.38 to -0.10, p < .001. These effects were such that the greater the mismatch between spouses' anger-coping response style, the greater the risk of early death.

CONCLUSIONS

For a three-decade follow-up, husbands and wives were at greater risk of early death when their anger-coping response styles differed. Degree of mismatch between spouses' response styles may be an important long-term predictor of spouses' early mortality risk.

Behavioural medicine and gastrointestinal disorders: the promise of positive psychology

Psychosocial risk factors linked to brain-gut dysregulation are prevalent across the spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders and are associated with poor patient outcomes. Robust and reproducible data in the areas of behavioural intervention science and the brain-gut axis have led to major advances in patient care, including the routine use of brain-gut psychotherapies to manage digestive symptoms and optimize coping. The logical next step for the emerging field of psychogastroenterology is to develop a scientific framework that enables the identification of those individual characteristics and coping styles that buffer patients against the negative psychological effects of chronic gastrointestinal disorders. A shift towards a strength-based, positive psychological science of gastrointestinal disorders could facilitate the integration of early, effective psychological care into gastroenterology practice. In this Perspective, I discuss the potential role of three human strengths with relevance to gastrointestinal health - resilience, optimism and self-regulation - and how these three constructs can be cultivated through existing or emerging brain-gut psychotherapies.

Evaluating Circumplex Structure in the Interpersonal Scales for the NEO-PI-3

Scales to assess the eight octants and two axes of the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) using items from the revised NEO Personality Inventory were introduced by Traupman et al. Item changes in the revised and renormed third edition of the NEO instrument (NEO-PI-3) have affected item content in all eight octant scales, underscoring the need to reexamine the IPC scales. The current study examines the circumplex structure of the revised octant scales in the NEO-PI-3 and their correlations with the Dominance and Warmth scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory in 568 undergraduate students. The data show perfect fit to circumplex structure, suggesting equivalent or better assessment of the IPC with the NEO-PI-3 octant scales. Convergence of the eight octants with the Personality Assessment Inventory interpersonal scales further supports their saturation with interpersonal content and appropriate location within the IPC.

The Hispanic health paradox: From epidemiological phenomenon to contribution opportunities for psychological science

Similar to non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos experience a range of psychosocial and physical health challenges, including high rates of poverty, neighborhood segregation, discrimination, poor healthcare access, and high rates of obesity, diabetes, and undiagnosed and late-stage diagnosed diseases. Despite such risks, Hispanics generally experience better physical health and lower mortality than non-Hispanic Whites, an epidemiological phenomenon commonly referred to as the Hispanic or Latino health paradox. With the basic phenomenon increasingly well-established, attention now turns to the sources of such resilience. The current aims are to briefly examine the epidemiological paradox and highlight potential sociocultural resilience factors that may contribute to the paradoxical effects. We conclude with presentation of a framework for modeling sociocultural resilience and discuss future directions for psychological contributions.

Are Different Coping Styles Mitigating Perceived Stress Associated With Depressive Symptoms Among Pregnant Women?

PURPOSE

To test the direct and moderating effects of different coping styles in mitigating perceived stress associated with antenatal depressive symptoms among 755 women.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The Perceived Stress Scale, the Trait Coping Styles Questionnaire, and the Edinburgh Depressive Postnatal Scale were used to test different effects in multiple linear regression models.

FINDINGS

Direct effects of positive and negative coping styles were found. Positive coping styles have moderating effects on perceived stress but negative coping styles do not.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Health services should dedicate resources to teach women positive coping styles to decrease their vulnerability to developing antenatal depressive symptoms.

Different perceptions of stress, coping styles, and general well-being among pregnant Chinese women: a structural equation modeling approach

Few studies have examined different perceptions of stress or explored the positive aspects of well-being among pregnant Chinese women, so there is a need to explore these phenomena in order to fill the research gap. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among the different perceptions of stress, coping styles, and general well-being using a structural equation modeling approach. We examined a hypothetical model among 755 pregnant Chinese women based on the integration of theoretical models. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Trait Coping Styles Questionnaire (TCSQ), and the General Well-Being Schedule (GWB) were used to measure perceived stress, coping styles, and general well-being, respectively. A structural equation model showed that positive and negative perceptions of stress significantly influenced positive and negative coping styles, respectively. Different perceptions of stress were significantly associated with general well-being, but different coping styles had no significant effects on general well-being. The model had a good fit to the data (IFI = 0.910, TLI = 0.904, CFI = 0.910, and RMSEA = 0.038). Different perception of stress was able to predict significant differences in coping styles and general well-being.

Testing direct and moderating effects of coping styles on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to test the direct and moderating effects of different coping styles in mitigating perceived stress associated with antenatal anxiety symptoms among 755 pregnant women in Chengdu.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey was carried out. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale were used to measure stress, coping and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the direct and moderating effects of coping styles in the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

Direct effects of negative coping (NC) styles were found. Women with higher NC scores were more likely to have anxiety symptoms. Positive coping (PC) styles had moderating effects on perceived stress, whereas NC styles did not.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study highlight the direct and moderating effects of coping styles. This knowledge is important to healthcare professionals in planning health service provision. Health services should dedicate resources to teaching pregnant women how to enhance PC styles, alter NC styles and cultivate optimistic thinking to alleviate anxiety symptoms.

Are people healthier if their partners are more optimistic? The dyadic effect of optimism on health among older adults

OBJECTIVE

Optimism has been linked with an array of positive health outcomes at the individual level. However, researchers have not examined how a spouse's optimism might impact an individual's health. We hypothesized that being optimistic (and having an optimistic spouse) would both be associated with better health.

METHODS

Participants were 3940 adults (1970 couples) from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel study of American adults over the age of 50. Participants were tracked for four years and outcomes included: physical functioning, self-rated health, and number of chronic illnesses. We analyzed the dyadic data using the actor-partner interdependence model.

RESULTS

After controlling for several psychological and demographic factors, a person's own optimism and their spouse's optimism predicted better self-rated health and physical functioning (bs = .08-.25, ps<.01). More optimistic people also reported better physical functioning (b = -.11, p<.01) and fewer chronic illnesses (b=-.01, p<.05) over time. Further, having an optimistic spouse uniquely predicted better physical functioning (b = -.09, p<.01) and fewer chronic illnesses (b = -.01, p<.05) over time. The strength of the relationship between optimism and health did not diminish over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Being optimistic and having an optimistic spouse were both associated with better health. Examining partner effects is important because such analyses reveal the unique role that spouses play in promoting health. These findings may have important implications for future health interventions.

Dispositional optimism

Optimism is a cognitive construct (expectancies regarding future outcomes) that also relates to motivation: optimistic people exert effort, whereas pessimistic people disengage from effort. Study of optimism began largely in health contexts, finding positive associations between optimism and markers of better psychological and physical health. Physical health effects likely occur through differences in both health-promoting behaviors and physiological concomitants of coping. Recently, the scientific study of optimism has extended to the realm of social relations: new evidence indicates that optimists have better social connections, partly because they work harder at them. In this review, we examine the myriad ways this trait can benefit an individual, and our current understanding of the biological basis of optimism.