-
Inquiry : a Journal of Medical Care... 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has increased psychological distress among common people and has caused health care providers, such as nurses, to experience tremendous stress.
OBJECTIVE
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased psychological distress among common people and has caused health care providers, such as nurses, to experience tremendous stress.
METHODS
This prospective cross-sectional study assessed the psychological impacts on nurses in a community hospital in Taiwan, including major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress (PTS), and pessimism. According to transactional theory, coping strategies and personal factors have psychological impacts. We hypothesized that behavioral responses to COVID-19 (problem-focused coping) are more effective in reducing psychological impacts than emotional responses to COVID-19 (emotion-focused coping). Independent variables were the use of behavioral and emotional coping strategies for COVID-19 and 3 personal factors, namely sleep disturbance, physical component summary (PCS-12), and mental component summary (MCS-12) of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) obtained from the Medical Outcomes Study. Dependent variables comprised 3 psychological impacts, namely MDD, PTS, and pessimism.
RESULTS
We determined that behavioral coping strategies had significant negative effects on PTS and pessimism; however, emotional coping strategies had significantly positive effects on PTS and pessimism. Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with increased MDD and pessimism. PCS-12 had a significant negative effect on PTS, whereas MCS-12 was not significantly associated with any of the 3 psychological impacts.
CONCLUSIONS
Nurses who adopted protective behavior against COVID-19, such as washing hands, wearing masks, avoiding touching eyes, and mouth, and avoiding personal contact, were associated with less posttraumatic stress and pessimism. Healthcare providers should consider strategies for improving preventive behaviors to help ease their worries and fears concerning COVID-19.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major; Humans; Pandemics; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taiwan
PubMed: 35532315
DOI: 10.1177/00469580221096278 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series A,... Feb 2022Research documents the adverse health effects of systemic inflammation. Overall, older Black Americans tend to have higher inflammation than older non-Hispanic White...
BACKGROUND
Research documents the adverse health effects of systemic inflammation. Overall, older Black Americans tend to have higher inflammation than older non-Hispanic White adults. Given that inflammation is related to a range of chronic health problems that disproportionately affect Blacks compared to Whites, this racial disparity in inflammation may contribute to racial disparities in particular chronic health problems. Thus, a better understanding of its determinants in the older Black population is of critical importance. This analysis examined the association between neighborhood characteristics and inflammation in a national sample of older non-Hispanic Black Americans. An additional aim of this study was to determine whether hopelessness and pessimism moderate the association between neighborhood characteristics and inflammation.
METHODS
A sample of older non-Hispanic Black Americans aged 60+ were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1004). Neighborhood characteristics included neighborhood physical disadvantage and neighborhood social cohesion. Inflammation was assessed by C-reactive protein.
RESULTS
The analyses indicated that neighborhood physical disadvantage and social cohesion were not associated with C-reactive protein. Hopelessness and pessimism moderated the association between neighborhood physical disadvantage and C-reactive protein.
CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge regarding the role of hopelessness and pessimism as moderator in the neighborhood-inflammation association can inform cognitive-behavioral interventions targeted at changes in cognition patterns.
Topics: Black or African American; C-Reactive Protein; Humans; Inflammation; Neighborhood Characteristics; Pessimism; Residence Characteristics
PubMed: 33929517
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab121 -
Journal of Aging and Health Oct 2022Positive psychosocial factors may protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine the association of optimism and pessimism with CVD events in...
Positive psychosocial factors may protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine the association of optimism and pessimism with CVD events in community-dwelling older adults. 11,651 adults aged 70 years and over, participants of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), were followed-up for 4.7 years (median). The association of optimism and pessimism (assessed as separate constructs by revised Life Orientation Test) and incident CVD events (composite and components) was assessed by Cox regression adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic and health factors. No association was observed between optimism and pessimism with composite CVD events. Being more pessimistic was associated with a greater risk of fatal coronary heart disease, while being more optimistic was associated with a lower risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction. Optimism and pessimism may shape cardiovascular health of older adults; and we argue these psychosocial factors should be researched as separate constructs.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Optimism; Pessimism; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 35410519
DOI: 10.1177/08982643221083118 -
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology :... Feb 2016
Topics: Pessimism
PubMed: 26542994
DOI: 10.1007/s12350-015-0311-4 -
Anxiety, Stress, and Coping Nov 2020and Objectives: This research examined whether life meaning promotes resilience to stressor-related psychological distress and repetitive negative thinking. Three...
and Objectives: This research examined whether life meaning promotes resilience to stressor-related psychological distress and repetitive negative thinking. Three studies (total = 273) used cross-sectional (Study 1) and prospective (Studies 2 and 3) designs to assess the relation between life meaning and response to various stressors. Results showed that in Study 1, greater life meaning was inversely related with repetitive negative thinking and psychological distress. Further, a mediation analysis showed an indirect effect for the life meaning-repetitive negative thinking relation through psychological distress. In Study 2, baseline life meaning predicted less repetitive negative thinking about a subsequent city-wide flood. In Study 3, baseline life meaning was inversely related to distress and repetitive negative thinking after writing about an aversive memory. A mediation analysis showed an indirect effect for the life meaning-repetitive negative thinking relation through distress. In all studies, life meaning predicted outcomes when controlling for other positive well-being variables. Overall, the findings suggest that individuals with greater trait life meaning experience less stressor-related distress and repetitive negative thinking and that the life meaning-repetitive negative thinking relation may be mediated by distress.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Goals; Humans; Male; Motivation; Netherlands; Personal Satisfaction; Pessimism; Prospective Studies; Resilience, Psychological; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 32755239
DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2020.1800655 -
Dispositional Optimism and Cardiovascular Reactivity Accompanying Anger and Sadness in Young Adults.Annals of Behavioral Medicine : a... Mar 2019Dispositional optimism, a generalized expectation for positive outcomes, appears to promote physical health and well-being, including positive effects on cardiovascular...
BACKGROUND
Dispositional optimism, a generalized expectation for positive outcomes, appears to promote physical health and well-being, including positive effects on cardiovascular disease outcomes. Mechanisms may involve adaptive responses to psychological stressors that dampen their physiological impact.
PURPOSE
This study investigated (i) whether individual differences in optimism are associated with attenuated cardiovascular reactivity (CVR); (ii) whether the CVR moderating effect of optimism differs for two stress emotions, anger and sadness; and (iii) whether separate measures of optimism and pessimism, and the more commonly used measure that combines them, differ in their relationships with CVR.
METHODS
The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) was used to provide an overall dispositional optimism score and subscale scores separately assessing optimism and pessimism. These predictors were examined in relation to cardiovascular responses evoked by a stressful autobiographical recall task. Task instructions were manipulated within subjects to produce anger and sadness. CVR measures were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and heart rate (HR).
RESULTS
Dispositional optimism was inversely associated with SBP and HR (but not DBP) elevations while participants related both anger- and sadness-inducing events. There was some indication that these associations were stronger for sadness than for anger, and that the LOT-R optimism subscale was a better predictor of CVR than its pessimism subscale.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings add to the understanding of health-promoting effects of dispositional optimism by addressing relationships of optimism and pessimism with cardiovascular concomitants of anger and sadness that are thought to contribute to heart disease.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anger; Blood Pressure; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Individuality; Male; Optimism; Personality; Pessimism; Sadness; Young Adult
PubMed: 30084860
DOI: 10.1093/abm/kay058 -
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology,... Sep 2023Personality traits, such as dispositional optimism and pessimism, have impact on a variety of health-related problems. Influence on outcome in total knee arthroplasty... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
PURPOSE
Personality traits, such as dispositional optimism and pessimism, have impact on a variety of health-related problems. Influence on outcome in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) could only be shown for other personality trait concepts, but not for dispositional optimism/pessimism. This study aims to examine the association of dispositional optimism/pessimism with pre-operative joint function and post-operative outcome in TKA.
METHODS
Data were acquired in a multicentre, cross-sectoral, prospective study (the PROMISE Trial). Patients were followed for 12 months post-operatively. Dispositional optimism/pessimism was measured pre-operatively via the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), pre- and post-operative function was measured via the 12 Item Knee-osteoarthritis outcome Scores (KOOS-12). Log-linear regression models considering known confounders and t-test were carried out to show the association of LOT-R scores with pre- and post-operative KOOS-12 scores.
RESULTS
740 patients were analyzed. Optimistic LOT-R was significantly positively associated to the mean scores of KOOS-12 pre- and post-operative, while pessimistic LOT-R was significantly associated negatively (pre-operative: optimistic p = 0.001, pessimistic p = 0.001; post-operative optimistic: 3M p = 0.001, 6M p = 0.001, 12M p = 0.001; post-operative pessimistic: 3M p = 0.01, 6M p = 0.004, 12M p = 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Optimism was positively associated with pre-operative joint function and, more importantly, post-operative functional outcome in TKA, while pessimism was associated with the opposite. Assessing patients' general personality traits prior to surgery to identify pessimistic patients, hence being at risk for poor outcome in TKA, should be considered to react to the patients' special needs and possible pessimistic expectations, i.e., through a cognitive-behavioral intervention, to potentially increase optimism and hereby post-operative outcome in TKA.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic Level III.
Topics: Humans; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; Knee Joint; Personality; Pessimism; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 37147400
DOI: 10.1007/s00167-023-07434-8 -
Psychological Reports Jan 2023In this study, we examined the relationship between optimism and pessimism associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health, and perceived risk of infection. In...
In this study, we examined the relationship between optimism and pessimism associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health, and perceived risk of infection. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that, when optimism and pessimism were high during the pandemic period, a worse mental health and a higher perception of risk would be reported. To this end, a convenience sample of 374 Italian adults was enrolled. Measures included perceived stress, optimism, and pessimism associated with the development of the pandemic situation, as well as the perceived risk of Covid-19 infection. The results showed that optimism and pessimism were associated with perceived stress and Covid-19 risk perception while controlling for demographic variables. Optimism and stress were negatively related, while pessimism was positively related to both stress and risk perception. Furthermore, the interaction between optimism and optimism was significant, with a higher perception of risk in the presence of both high optimism and pessimism, and a lower perception of risk with high optimism and low pessimism. These results support the hypothesis that optimism and pessimism interacted in predicting Covid-19 risk perception and show that they should be measured as partially correlated but independent constructs in future investigations.
PubMed: 36688487
DOI: 10.1177/00332941231153320 -
British Journal of Health Psychology Nov 2020Studies have demonstrated the importance of optimism in predicting perceived general health. However, the handful of studies focusing on cardiovascular biomarkers show...
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.
Topics: Aged; Attitude to Health; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Female; Humans; Male; Optimism; Pessimism; Prospective Studies; Sexual Partners; Spouses
PubMed: 32914524
DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12466 -
The British Journal of Clinical... Nov 2020Women's greater prevalence of anxiety disorders compared to men is widely assumed to be partly due to gender differences in cognitive and behavioural factors that...
OBJECTIVES
Women's greater prevalence of anxiety disorders compared to men is widely assumed to be partly due to gender differences in cognitive and behavioural factors that perpetuate anxiety, such as repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and avoidance. However, past studies assessing this assumption have not controlled for gender differences in baseline symptom severity, the type of stressful life experiences against which RNT and avoidance are measured, or emotional reactivity to these experiences.
DESIGN
Using a two-group design, the present study controlled for these confounds by comparing avoidance and RNT in relation to a controlled symptom provocation task in spider phobic men and women with equivalent spider fear severity on the Fear of Spiders Questionnaire.
METHODS
Participants engaged in a behavioural approach test (BAT) involving a live spider, during which they were assessed for avoidance (physical proximity to the spider) and subjective distress. Two weeks later, participants reported on their levels of negative affect and RNT experienced during the preceding weeks in relation to the BAT.
RESULTS
Women exhibited greater avoidance and reported greater RNT than men, despite reporting comparable distress and negative affect. Gender remained a significant predictor of avoidance when accounting for distress and also remained a significant predictor of RNT when accounting for depressive symptoms and negative affect.
CONCLUSIONS
These results provide in vivo evidence that heightened avoidance and RNT may perpetuate anxiety symptoms in women independently of gender differences in symptom severity, daily experiences, or emotional reactivity.
PRACTITIONER POINTS
Following symptom provocation, men and women with spider phobia differ in cognitive and behavioural coping responses. Women exhibit greater avoidance and repetitive negative thinking than men, and these differences are not attributable to gender differences in symptom severity or emotional reactivity. These findings provide novel evidence for gender differences in maintaining factors that perpetuate anxiety disorders whilst accounting for confounding factors present in prior research.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Fear; Female; Humans; Male; Pessimism; Phobic Disorders; Social Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thinking; Young Adult
PubMed: 32955767
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12267