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

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.