Optimism and risk of mortality among African-Americans: The Jackson heart study

Optimism mitigated impacts of pre-operative depression and anxiety on post-operative distress in cardiac patients

Both anxiety and depression are comorbid mortality risks in middle-aged and older patients with heart diseases. Open-heart surgery (OHS), a life-altering procedure, can induce psychological distress that impedes postoperative recovery. Extensive research has shown the health benefit of optimism, an indicator of hope-a Character Strength in positive psychology. It predicts low mortality in cardiovascular disease-the number one killer of all Americans. Few studies, however, have explored whether that optimism mitigates the negative impact of preoperative depression and anxiety on postoperative general psychological distress. This interdisciplinary clinical study evaluated a hypothetical model of these relationships prior to and 1 month following OHS in 311 U.S. patients using a three-wave survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to predict post-OHS general psychological distress. Optimism was indicated by two subscales in the Life Orientation Test (LOT). Based on the definition, general psychological distress was indicated by low symptom levels of somatization, depression, and anxiety as measured by the SCL-90 subscales. The final solution demonstrated a good fit. Optimism alleviates the negative effects of preoperative depression and anxiety, as indicators of poor mental health, on postoperative distress. Both older age and female gender were positively and directly associated with higher levels of post-OHS symptoms. The finding supports the beneficial role of optimism in mitigating the damage of poor mental health in the postoperative outcome of cardiac patients. The desirable function of character strength hope suggests that health providers should be attentive to and enhance inner strength for reducing the distress of cardiac patients in the postoperative recovery month.

Social vulnerability index and age-adjusted mortality from all causes by county: Mississippi 2016-2020

BACKGROUND

Social variables are correlates of mortality. A number of social variables were used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create a Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). SVI has been used as a correlate of health status. Age-adjusted mortality rates have been higher in Mississippi than in other states. Within Mississippi, the Delta region has had higher mortality. To test the hypothesis that social vulnerability was associated with mortality rate within the state, we examined SVI of counties in Mississippi as related to mortality from all causes in 2016-2020.

METHODS

The CDC/ATSDR SVI ranks each census tract on 16 social factors, including poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing, and groups them into four related themes. Using CDC Wonder, we gathered data analyzing age-adjusted rate of death from all causes (AAR) in Mississippi Counties from 2016 to 2020, combined (reporting the death rate per 100,000 persons). Descriptive statistics were computed for each variable. Pearson correlation analysis, bivariable and multivariable regression analysis was done using Microsoft Excel version 16.77. The dependent variable was AAR and independent variables were for themes from the SVI.

RESULTS

AAR varied greatly amongst counties in Mississippi. Higher AAR was seen in northwestern areas of Mississippi. The county with the lowest AAR (730 per 100,000 persons) had only half the AAR of the county with the highest AAR (1313.3 per 100,000 persons). The association of SVI THEME 1 (socioeconomic status) with AAR in Mississippi was positive. Linear regression analysis showed a coefficient of 203.5, 95 % CI 111.9-295.0, p = 0. 0.0000305. R square was 0.20. The addition of the following themes added little to the variation in AAR explained: SVI THEME 2 (household characteristics), SVI THEME 3 (racial and ethnic minority status), and SVI THEME 4 (housing type/transportation).

CONCLUSION

Socioeconomic status explained a fifth of the variation in AAR among Mississippi counties in 2016-2020.

Gratitude, optimism, and satisfaction with life and patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Associations between positive psychological well-being (PPWB) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs, e.g., quality of life [QOL]) have yet to be studied extensively in patients with hematologic malignancies who are allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors, despite substantial evidence that PPWB impacts PROs of other medical populations.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data examining the association of PPWB and PROs at day 100 post-transplant among 158 allogeneic HSCT recipients. Optimism, gratitude, life satisfaction, and PROs (i.e., QOL, anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms) were assessed using the Life Orientation Test-Revised, Gratitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version, respectively. We used linear and multivariate regressions for all analyses and controlled for patient factors.

RESULTS

Optimism was associated with better QOL (β = 1.46; p < 0.001) and lower levels of anxiety (β = -0.28; p < 0.001), depression (β = -0.31; p < 0.001), and PTSD (β = -0.58; p < 0.001). Gratitude was associated with better QOL (β = 1.11; p < 0.001) and lower levels of anxiety (β = -0.21; p = 0.001), depression (β = -0.14; p = 0.021), and PTSD (β = -0.32; p = 0.032). Finally, satisfaction with life was associated with better QOL (β = 1.26; p < 0.001) and lower levels of anxiety (β = -0.18; p < 0.001), depression (β = -0.21; p < 0.001), and PTSD (β = -0.49; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Optimism, gratitude, and satisfaction with life were all associated with better QOL and lower levels of psychological distress in allogeneic HSCT survivors. These data support studies to harness PPWB as a therapeutic intervention for this population throughout HSCT recovery.

Domains of life satisfaction and perceived health and incidence of chronic illnesses and hospitalization: evidence from a large population-based Chinese cohort

Background

Global life satisfaction has been consistently linked to physical health. A deeper and culturally nuanced understanding of which domains of satisfaction may be responsible for this association has implications for developing novel, scalable, and targeted interventions to improve physical health at the population level.

Objectives

This cohort study draws participants from the China Family Panel Studies (CPFS), a nationally representative cohort of 10,044 Chinese adults to assess the independent associations between three important domains of life satisfaction (and their changes) and indicators of physical health.

Results

A total of 10,044 participants were included in the primary analysis (4,475 female [44.6%]; mean [SD] age, 46.2 [12.1] years). Higher baseline levels of satisfaction with job, marriage, and medical services were independently associated with better perceived physical health (0.04 < β values < 0.12). Above and beyond their baseline levels, increases in satisfaction with job, marriage, and medical services were independently associated with better perceived physical health (0.04 < β values < 0.13). On the contrary, only higher baseline levels of and increases in satisfaction with marriage showed prospective associations with lower odds of incidence of chronic health condition and hospitalization (0.84 < ORs < 0.91).

Conclusions

These findings provide policymakers and interventionists interested in leveraging psychological health assets with rich information to rank variables and develop novel interventions aimed at improving wellbeing at the population level.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14119-3.