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The Role of Dispositional Optimism in Physical and Mental Well-Being

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A Positive Psychology Perspective on Quality of Life

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 51))

Abstract

Dispositional optimism is a personality trait that refers to the extent to which individuals expect positive outcomes for their future. Higher optimism has been associated with a better physical health and mental well-being. It is thought that these favorable outcomes result from the more effective coping styles used by optimists. These coping styles include goal-oriented strategies which enhance the perception of controllability of stressors and better social embedding and protect against feelings of loneliness. Optimists meet adversities using a proactive approach to deal with the source of stress, whether it concerns a health, psychological, or social problem. Dispositional optimism has been associated with a reduced risk for various physical disorders, including a lower risk for cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, whereas evidence for a link with cancer is more ambiguous. The protective effect of optimism on physical health may be mediated through health-promoting behaviors, such as healthier dietary patterns and more physical activity. Biological processes such as low inflammation, low oxidative stress, and a resilient hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may underlie the association. It is therefore undeniable that dispositional optimism plays a central role in health-related quality of life and subjective well-being. Intervention studies aiming to increase optimism are scarce and have shown that manipulation of one’s future expectancies may change dispositional optimism on the short term. Future well-designed trials should therefore explore whether the level of optimism can be improved through cognitive behavior therapy, exercise, lifestyle modification, social skills training, or biological interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, 9600, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Nathaly Rius-Ottenheim, Roos C. van der Mast, Frans G. Zitman & Erik J. Giltay

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  1. Nathaly Rius-Ottenheim
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  2. Roos C. van der Mast
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  3. Frans G. Zitman
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  4. Erik J. Giltay
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Correspondence to Nathaly Rius-Ottenheim .

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  1. School of Psychology, Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece

    Anastasia Efklides

  2. , School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki,, 541 24, Greece

    Despina Moraitou

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Rius-Ottenheim, N., van der Mast, R.C., Zitman, F.G., Giltay, E.J. (2012). The Role of Dispositional Optimism in Physical and Mental Well-Being. In: Efklides, A., Moraitou, D. (eds) A Positive Psychology Perspective on Quality of Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 51. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4963-4_9

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