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Optimism and depression as predictors of physical and mental health functioning: The normative aging study

  • Empirical Articles
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Dispositional optimism has been linked in previous studies to better health outcomes. We sought to examine the independent associations of dispositional optimism and depressive symptoms with physical and mental functioning in a cohort of healthy middle-aged and older men. The study was conducted among 659 subjects in the Veterans Administration (VA) Normative Aging Study. Dispositional optimism and depressive symptomatology were measured in 1991 and 1990, respectively, by the Life Orientation Test and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The dependent variables, functioning and well-being, were measured in 1992 by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). In multivariate regression models, optimism was associated with higher levels of general health perceptions, vitality, and mental health, and lower levels of bodily pain, but not to physical functioning, social functioning, or role limitations due to physical or emotional problems. Depressive symptomatology was associated with reduced levels of functioning across all SF-36 domains. The findings for optimism and depression were statistically significant after mutual adjustment in multivariate regression models. Optimism and depression are independent predictors of functional status among aging men.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, 02115, Boston, MA

    Helen Achat & Ichiro Kawachi

  2. Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA

    Avron Spiro

Authors
  1. Helen Achat
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  2. Ichiro Kawachi
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  3. Avron Spiro
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  4. Deborah A. DeMolles
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  5. David Sparrow
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Additional information

Channing Laboratory

Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic

Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by the VA Health Services Research & Development Service. Dr. Kawachi is supported by a Career Development Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is a core member of the MacArthur Foundation Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health. Dr. Sparrow is an Associate Research Career Scientist of the VA Medical Research Service.

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Achat, H., Kawachi, I., Spiro, A. et al. Optimism and depression as predictors of physical and mental health functioning: The normative aging study. ann. behav. med. 22, 127–130 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02895776

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