Abstract
Optimism should be included in efforts to protect mental health, as it can provide cognitive resources. Optimism also reduces the negative effects of stressful life events associated with the occurrence and recurrence of mental disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental disorders and optimism in a community-based sample of adults. The study was conducted in three semi-rural clusters determined via random sampling. After adjustment in accordance with the independent variables, the relationship between each psychiatric disorder and Life Orientation Test (LOT) was calculated using logistic models. Overall, 24.5% of participants were categorized into at least one mental disorder group, with 20.8%, 3.5%, and 0.3% having one, two, or three mental disorders, respectively. The median LOT score was lower in patients diagnosed from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders modules, except for the somatoform disorder module. Maintaining an optimistic view reduced the risk of mood disorders by 0.86 (OR; 95% CI, 0.81–0.91), anxiety disorders by 0.89 (0.83–0.97), and probable alcohol abuse by 0.83 (0.74–0.93) times after adjustment. The role of an optimistic view in coping with mental problems should be investigated in detail.
Highlights
Optimism is a way of thinking and involves expecting positive results from life.The direct effect of optimistic thinking is how people feel about themselves when they encounter problems
The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between mental disorders and optimism in a community-based sample of adults
This study demonstrated the effect of an optimistic view on mental health in a community-based sample
Summary
Optimism is a way of thinking and involves expecting positive results from life. The direct effect of optimistic thinking is how people feel about themselves when they encounter problems. Optimistic people expect good results even in difficult situations. The effects of optimism go beyond just making an individual feel better and provide an important potential for what people can do when they face problems [1,2]. Many studies have associated optimism with physical disorders. These studies indicated that optimists exhibit more self-care and physical well-being and less pain in chronic illnesses than pessimists [3,4,5]
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