Positive Effect of Positive Psychological Factors to the coping of Chronic Life-threatening Illnesses: Evidence, Controversies and Suggestion

Abstract

Chronic life-threatening illnesses which are difficult to cure and have longer duration would endanger the life in severe cases and seriously affect the lives of patients and their families. It is well documented that some positive psychological factors, such as benefit finding, post-traumatic growth, sense of coherence, fighting spirit and optimism, had positive effects on treatment of disease through biological, behavioral and social process. The methods of positive psychological intervention including intervention to the attitude or perception of disease and inducing positive psychological factors had positive effect on disease coping. There were two main controversies, one was the scientificity of the methods and the other was the clarity of casual relationship between positive psychological factors and disease coping. According to controversies, further work needs to be done to establish the causal relationship between positive psychological factors and the coping and rehabilitation of diseases by relying mainly on the experimental method and combining with other methods.