High Levels Of Pessimism Research Articles

Explorative analyses on spatial differences in the desire for social distance toward people with mental illness in a diverging city.

Stigma is an individual and societal process based on attitudes and power and relates to both spatial disparities and social distinction. In this study, we examined differences in desire for social distance toward people with mental illness within a city using social and spatial information. ANOVAs and Scheffé post-hoc tests analyzed varying desires for social distance toward people with mental illness within Leipzig (East Germany). Joint Correspondence Analyses (JCA) explored correspondences between desire for social distance, socio-economic status, age, life orientation, social support, duration of living in Leipzig, and shame toward having a mental illness in five city districts of Leipzig in LIFE study participants (by Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Disease, data collected 2011-2014 and 2018-2021, n = 521). Stigma varied among Leipzig's districts (F(df = 4) = 4.52, p = 0.001). JCAs showed that a higher desired social distance toward people with mental illness corresponded with spatial differences, high levels of pessimism, high shame of being mentally ill, low social support, low socio-economic status, and older age (75.74 and 81.22% explained variances). In terms of stigma, where people with mental illness live matters. The results identified target groups that should be addressed by appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for mental health care.

Body Composition Parameters Correlate to Depression Symptom Levels in Patients Treated with Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of depression and nutritional status and their associations in patients treated with hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the differences according to the type of treatment. There were fifty-three patients treated with maintenance HD and twenty patients treated with PD enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Body composition, anthropometric parameters, and clinical and laboratory parameters were collected for each participant. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and risk of malnutrition with the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS). The results suggest a positive association between the level of depression and the percentage of fat mass and obesity parameters in PD and HD participants. Muscle mass and fat-free mass in HD, phase angle (PhA), and serum albumin levels in PD were negatively associated with the value of BDI-II. Participants treated with HD were found to have higher levels of pessimism and loss of interest in sex compared with PD. There is a need to integrate multidisciplinary psychological and nutritional assessment into the usual care of dialysis patients.

Differentiating Optimists from Pessimists in the Prediction of Emotional Intelligence, Happiness, and Life Satisfaction: A Latent Profile Analysis

What are the differences between optimists and pessimists? The aim of this study is to analyze the differences reported by optimists and pessimists in terms of three psychological variables: emotional intelligence (EI), happiness, and life satisfaction. To answer this question, we examined the extent to which a combination of different levels of optimism and pessimism can differently predict EI, happiness, and life satisfaction in two independent samples (891 adults, 494 adolescents). To do that, we introduced a person-centered approach, which offers several advantages in the study of optimism over the extended, predominant variable-centered approach. Then, using a latent profile analysis, we identified three groups of individuals with a similar optimism–pessimism configuration: optimists, ambivalents, and pessimists. The results obtained supported our hypothesis that optimists report higher EI, happiness, and life satisfaction levels than those reported by pessimists. Low levels of optimism, rather than high levels of pessimism, distinguish optimistic from non-optimistic people in the prediction of external outcomes. Our results suggest that optimism and pessimism can be viewed as separate yet correlated traits that can be grouped together to explain individual affective and cognitive differences, which encourage the refinement of strategies and interventions used in psychology practice.

Cynicism, pessimism, and homophobia as predictors of negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS

The aim of the research was to examine whether it is possible to predict negative attitudes towards people with HIV/ AIDS with the help of cynicism, pessimism, and homophobia. The sample was convenient and consisted of 100 respondents (M = 20, F = 80), average age 22.63 (SD = 5.04). The following instruments were used for the operationalization of the mentioned constructs: Scale of Pessimism, Scale of Cynicism, and Test of Homophobia (H25). To measure negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, we used a subscale of the test which operationalizes the tendency to stigmatize and discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS. Hierarchical linear regression was used to process the results. Predictors were pessimism, cynicism, and homophobia, while the criteria were negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. The results show that the first two models were not statistically significant, while the last model, after adding a variable that measures homophobia, becomes significant. The model composed of cynicism, pessimism, and homophobia explains 34% of the total variance (p = .00). Homophobia makes a significant contribution to the prediction, which is also a statistically significant predictor of negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS (b = .54, t = 6.43, p = .00). Pessimism was also a statistically significant individual predictor (b = 20, t = 2.00, p = .05). It can be concluded that higher levels of pessimism and more pronounced homophobia significantly predict negative attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS.

The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on the Happiness, Optimism, and Pessimism of Brazilian Medical Students.

Mental health problems are very common among medical students, becoming a concern for health care professionals and educators. Despite the fact that there is a growing body of literature supporting the role of religiosity and spirituality (RS) on mental health and on positive psychology outcomes, little evidence is available among medical students, a population subjected to important distress. This study aimed to investigate the role of RS on the levels of optimism, pessimism, and happiness among Brazilian medical students. This is a cross-sectional study including medical students from the first to the eighth semester of a private medical school. The instruments used were: TOT-R for optimism and pessimism, Lyubomirsk and Lepper subjective happiness scale, and sociodemographic profile. The independent variables were Brazilian Portuguese Duke University Religiosity Scale for religiosity, Brief Spiritual Religious Coping (SRC) for negative and positive SRC; and Facit-Sp for spiritual well-being. A total of 353 medical students were included (response rate 97.51%). Higher levels of intrinsic religiosity and peace were associated with greater happiness and optimism. However, negative SRC was associated with lower levels of happiness and optimism and higher levels of pessimism. Medical students tend to use their RS as a resource for dealing with the challenges of medical school, influencing their happiness and optimism. In this context, it seems that religiousness acts in two different ways, not only have positive but also negative outcomes among the participants.

Dispositional pessimism is related to reduced respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity to a psychosocial stressor

The associations among dispositional optimism/pessimism, baseline RSA and RSA reactivity were investigated in the current study. Physiological data were collected from 102 young adults during baseline, social stress task (i.e., a public speaking task) and recovery periods in the laboratory. Dispositional optimism and pessimism were assessed using the revised Life Orientation Test. Results showed that higher dispositional pessimism is significantly related to lower levels of RSA reactivity to the social stress task. Finding highlight that individuals with higher levels of pessimism may be at elevated risk for physiological maladjustment.

COVID-19 Related Knowledge and Mental Health: Case of Croatia.

Background and Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to radical and unexpected changes in everyday life, and it is plausible that people’s psychophysical health has been affected. This study examined the relationship between COVID-19 related knowledge and mental health in a Croatian sample of participants.MethodsAn online survey was conducted from March 18 until March 23, 2020, and a total of 1244 participant responses were collected (85.5% were women and 58.4% completed secondary education). Measures included eight questions regarding biological features of the virus, symptoms, and prevention, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Optimism-Pessimism Scale. According to the answers given on the questions on COVID-19 related knowledge, participants were divided in two groups: (1) informed and (2) uninformed on each question. They were then compared in the expressed levels of anxiety, depression, pessimism, and optimism. Full vs. partial mediation models with optimism/pessimism as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety/depression and the accuracy of responses for questions about handwashing and ways of transmission were estimated.ResultsParticipants who responded correctly on the question about handwashing had higher levels of anxiety, depression, and pessimism than those participants whose answer was incorrect, while participants who answered correctly on the question about the percentage of patients who develop serious breathing problems had higher levels of depression than those who answered incorrectly. Lower levels of anxiety and pessimism were observed in the participants who answered correctly about ways of transmission. Higher levels of pessimism were found in participants who scored incorrectly on questions about the efficiency of antibiotics, most common symptoms, and the possibility of being infected by asymptomatic carriers. Higher levels of knowledge about handwashing were predicted by higher levels of anxiety and pessimism. Higher levels of knowledge about ways of transmission were predicted by lower levels of anxiety and lower levels of pessimism. The examined relationships between anxiety/depression and knowledge were mediated by pessimism.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that knowledge about COVID-19 may be useful to reduce anxiety and depression, but it must be directed to the promotion of health behaviors and to the recognition of fake news.

A-082 SPECT Cerebral Blood Flow Differences between Self-Reported Low and High Feelings of Pessimism

Abstract Objective To assess which brain areas, as measured by SPECT, are related to self-reported feelings of pessimism. Method Using a symptom checklist, participants were determined based on their self-reported feelings of pessimism. The participants were part of a large archival de-identified database. A total of 7,661 individuals were categorized into a low level of pessimism group (N = 3,495) and a high level of pessimism group (N = 4,166) who were primarily male (60.7%) with a mean age of 40.00 (SD = 15.69). Participants were placed in their respective groups based on whether their responses fell at or below the 25th percentile or at or above the 75th percentile of the sum of responses that indicated having problems related to pessimism. The two groups were then compared in 17 brain areas at baseline. Results Results from an Independent samples t-test showed mean differences in blood flow. Hyper-perfusion was seen in the group with high level of pessimism in the left Frontal t(7659) = −1.668, p < .007 and bilateral Parietal, left t(7659) = −1.333, p < .001 and right t(7659) = −1.159, p < .013. Conclusion Results indicate that individuals who report high levels of pessimism have an increased blood flow to several areas, increasing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional arousal. The increase of blood flow to the left frontal area suggests an over activation of cognitive reasoning and judgement, inhibiting a clear understanding of feelings of powerlessness and fear. The overwhelming feelings activate bilateral parietal lobes in carrying out motor behaviors to try and reduce feelings of hopelessness and fear.

Integrating children's services - between aspiration and reality

Integrating children's services - between aspiration and reality

Die protektiveWirkung einer optimistischen Erwartungshaltung bei Prostatakrebspatienten

This study investigates the course of psychological distress, need for psychosocial support and quality of life in prostate cancer patients with respect to their dispositional optimism. A sample of 253 patients with prostate carcinoma completed questionnaires measuring optimism (LOT), psychological distress (PHQ-4), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and need for psychosocial support (HSI) during hospitalization (T1), two weeks (T2) and three months (T3) after discharge. Optimism at T1 is negatively correlated with psychological distress and the need for support at T3. Even after controlling for the baseline levels of these variables, we found that optimism explained incremental variance three months later. The proportion of patients with an expressed need for support ranged from 45 % at T1 to 30 % at T3. Depression is - compared to the German general population - elevated only at T1, while anxiety remains heightened over the entire course. Patients with a high level of pessimism are at risk for higher levels of mental distress in the course of the disease. Their need for counselling should be considered by the psychosocial care system.

Pessimism Predicts Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Female Cancer Patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of optimism/pessimism for anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life in female cancer patients, quantified with and without controlling the corresponding base level. A total of 97 women with breast cancer and other gynaecological cancer completed the Life Orientation Test, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Health Survey SF-8 at three time points: during their stay in the hospital (T1), 2 weeks later (T2) and 3 months later (T3). The degree of self-assessed pessimism at T1 was significantly associated with anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life at T3. After controlling for the base levels of anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life, only the predictive value of pessimism remained significant and substantial. Especially, women with a high level of pessimism are at risk for higher levels of anxiety and depression in addition to lowered health-related quality of life in the course of the disease. The results indicate that it seems to be more important not to be pessimistic than to be optimistic.

The impact of optimism on anxiety, depression and quality of life in urogenital cancer patients

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between optimism and anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A further aim was to investigate the predictive value of optimism for anxiety, depression and HRQOL, quantified with and without controlling the corresponding base level. A total of 427 urogenital cancer patients were asked to complete the Life Orientation Test (LOT), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the health survey SF-8 during their stay in the hospital (T1), two weeks later (T2) and three months later. Finally, 275 patients (64.4%) completed all questionnaires. Optimism at T1 was significantly associated with anxiety (r=-0.35), depression (r=-0.41) and HRQOL (physical: r=0.29; mental: r=0.27) and can predict outcome variables three months later. After controlling for the base levels of anxiety, depression and HRQOL, the predictive value of optimism remained significant but small. The incrementally variance explained by the LOT varied between 2.1% in anxiety and 8.2% in physical HRQOL. Especially patients with a low level of optimism and a high level of pessimism are at risk for higher levels of anxiety and depression in addition to lowered HRQOL.

Dispositional Optimism and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality ina Prospective Cohort of Elderly Dutch Men and Women

Major depression is known to be related to higher cardiovascular mortality. However, epidemiological data regarding dispositional optimism in relation to mortality are scanty. To test whether subjects who are optimistic live longer than those who are pessimistic. Our analysis formed part of a prospective population-based cohort study in the Netherlands (Arnhem Elderly Study). General community. Elderly subjects aged 65 to 85 years (999 men and women) completed the 30-item validated Dutch Scale of Subjective Well-being for Older Persons, with 5 subscales: health, self-respect, morale, optimism, and contacts. A total of 941 subjects (466 men and 475 women) had complete dispositional optimism data, and these subjects were divided into quartiles. Number of deaths during the follow-up period. During the follow-up period of 9.1 years (1991-2001), there were 397 deaths. Compared with subjects with a high level of pessimism, those reporting a high level of optimism had an age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio of 0.55 (95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.74; upper vs lower quartile) for all-cause mortality. For cardiovascular mortality, the hazard ratio was 0.23 (95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.55) when adjusted for age, sex, chronic disease, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, history of cardiovascular disease or hypertension, body mass index, and total cholesterol level. Protective trend relationships were observed between the level of optimism and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (P<.001 and P = .001 for trend, respectively). Interaction with sex (P = .04) supported a stronger protective effect of optimism in men than women for all-cause mortality but not for cardiovascular mortality. Our results provide support for a graded and independent protective relationship between dispositional optimism and all-cause mortality in old age. Prevention of cardiovascular mortality accounted for much of the effect.

Adolescents’ social strategies and behavioural/emotional problems

Current study is a first attempt to examine what patterns of social strategies could be identified among adolescents, and to explore how the use of particular strategies is associated with adolescent’s specific behavioural and emotional problems.The participants were 501 adolescents, 14-to –18 year-old (248 boys and 253 girls) from three secondary schools located in Vilnius, Lithuania and from two secondary schools located in sub-urban area.Social strategies were assessed using five subscales of the SAQ that measure cognitive strategies “in social context”. Behavioural/emotional problems were assessed using seven scales of YSR11/18: Withdrawn, Anxious/Depressed, Social problems, Attention problems, Aggressive behaviour, Delinquent behaviour.Patterns of strategy groups were examined by using a hierarchical clustering technique based on squared Euclidian distances (Ward, SPSS package). In this particular analysis we ended up using four-cluster solution. To investigate to what extent the adolescents’ in different social strategy groups would differ according to their anxiety-depression, withdrawal, attention problems, aggressive behaviour, delinquent behaviour, somatic complaints and social problems we carried out univariate two-way ANOVA for each variable separately with two between subject factors: Strategy group and Gender.It was shown first, that there were four homogenous groups of adolescents who seemed to deploy certain patterns of social strategies. All of them resembled the strategies described previously in the literature. The results show that 39% of adolescents deployed active optimistic strategy. They were typified by a moderately high level of success expectation, relatively high level of task-irrelevant behaviour, very low level of avoidance, very high level of mastery-orientation and very low level of pessimism. The results showed further that the adolescents who used active optimistic strategy showed lower levels of anxiety-depression, withdrawal and social problems. Nevertheless, they showed higher level of attention problems.Another group of the adolescents (14% from total sample) were identified as users of defensive functional strategy. They were characterized by the low level of success expectation, very high level of task-irrelevant behaviour, moderately low level of avoidance, high level of master -orientation, low level of pessimism. Defensive functional group also reported relatively low level of withdrawal, very high level of attention problems. However, girls’ levels of attention problems were much higher than the boys’ levels in the defensive functional group. They also showed relatively high level of social problems. Again, girls’ levels of social problems were much higher than the boys’ levels in the defensive functional group.Small group (12%) of the adolescents were identified as avoiders being typified by low level of success expectation, low level of task-irrelevant behaviour, very high level of avoidance, low level of master-orientation and high level of pessimism. They also showed high level of anxiety-depression, very high level of withdrawal, relatively low level of attention problems, very high level of social problems.Thirty-five per cent of the adolescents showed learned helplessness. They were characterized by moderately high level of success expectation, low level of task-irrelevant behaviour, high level of avoidance, very low level of master orientation and very high level of pessimism. The results further showed that the learned helplessness group showed relatively high level of anxiety-depression, high level of withdrawal, very low level of attention problems, relatively low level of social problems. The results showed that the membership of the strategy groups was associated in theoretically meaningful ways to the adolescents’ anxiety/depression, withdrawal, and social problems. Consequently, these results may help us to understand how different types of strategy patterns are related to emotional and behavioural problems.

Individual Differences in Dispositional Pessimism, Stress, and Coping as a Function of Task Type

Individual differences in dispositional pessimism and choice of coping strategy on performance and stress, in target detection were investigated. The results were consistent with prior research indicating that higher levels of pessimism were associated with higher levels of stress and less effective coping strategies. Similarly, pessimism predicted emotion focused coping only in tasks with spatial uncertainty. There was evidence that the influence of personality on post-task stress may be mediated by pre-task state. Pessimism also predicted avoidant coping and task focused coping, although this prediction was only meaningful in the context of the combination of a temporal discrimination and spatial uncertainty. Hence, the degree to which pessimistic operators engage in the three coping strategies depends upon the characteristics of the task.

Is the glass half empty or half full? A prospective study of optimism and coronary heart disease in the normative aging study.

A sense of optimism, which derives from the ways individuals explain causes of daily events, has been shown to protect health, whereas pessimism has been linked to poor physical health. We examined prospectively the relationship of an optimistic or pessimistic explanatory style with coronary heart disease incidence in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, an ongoing cohort of older men. In 1986, 1306 men completed the revised Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, from which we derived the bipolar revised Optimism-Pessimism Scale. During an average of 10 years of follow-up, 162 cases of incident coronary heart disease occurred: 71 cases of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction, 31 cases of fatal coronary heart disease, and 60 cases of angina pectoris. Compared with men with high levels of pessimism, those reporting high levels of optimism had multivariate-adjusted relative risks of 0.44 (95% confidence interval = 0.26-0.74) for combined nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death and 0.45 (95% confidence interval = 0.29-0.68) for combined angina pectoris, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease death. A dose-response relation was found between levels of optimism and each outcome (p value for trend,.002 and.0004, respectively). These results suggest that an optimistic explanatory style may protect against risk of coronary heart disease in older men.

Coping strategies, life style changes, and pessimism after open-heart surgery.

A mail questionnaire was completed by 171 patients two to 20 months after undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The post-CABG period was characterized by fewer working hours, a higher level of physical exercise, a reduction in smoking, and more appropriate nutritional habits, compared with the preoperation period. At the same time, the anxiety level of post-CABG patients was higher than that measured in a community sample. Post-CABG high psychological distress (anxiety and mood states) and low functional capacity were associated with high levels of pessimism and ineffective emotion-focused coping strategies. These results may be used by social workers in devising psychological interventions aimed at improving post-CABG patients' quality of life and bolstering their coping strategies.

Choice and constraints in floodplain occupation: the influence of structural factors on residential location in peninsular Malaysia.

In Peninsular Malaysia 'structural' factors are found to influence strongly people's persistent occupation of floodplains. Thus, despite a high level of flood hazard awareness, a high level of pessimism and a high level of expectation of future floods, poorer individuals seldom attempt to leave for more advantageous locations but are instead trapped in their present locations by structural factors such as poverty, low residential and occupational mobility, low educational attainment, traditional land inheritance, government aid, and government disaster preparedness, relief and rehabilitation programmes. These forces exert a strong influence upon individuals and largely control their choice of residential location in response to flood hazards, thereby reinforcing the persistent occupation of floodplains. Structural factors such as landlessness, rural-urban migration, floodplain encroachment and squatting are also highly influential in leading people to move. Even for those who move, structural factors have largely confined their choice of residential location to urban floodplains.

Asthma and Stigma

A questionnaire was sent to all asthmatics between the ages of 18 and 60 identified from a rural family practice in Southwestern Ontario. The questionnaire measured various attitudes concerning asthma and was used to identify those respondents reporting high levels of pessimism or stigma in relation to their condition. Seven respondents were then interviewed in depth, using interpretive research methods, to explore the experience of their condition and to attempt to clarify the concept of stigma in asthma. The conclusion of the study was that, for the respondents interviewed, stigma was not a major theme in their illness experience and seemed much less important than the current literature and the initial questionnaire results suggested.