Positive Psychological Variables Research Articles

Positive factors associated with quality of life among Chinese patients with renal carcinoma: a cross-sectional study

Quality of life and positive psychological variables has become a focus of concern in patients with renal carcinoma. However, the integrative effects of positive psychological variables on the illness have seldom been reported. The aims of this study were to evaluate the quality of life and the integrative effects of hope, resilience and optimism on the quality of life among Chinese renal carcinoma patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the First Hospital of China Medical University. 284 participants completed questionnaires consisting of demographic and clinical characteristics, EORTC QLQ-C30, Adult Hope Scale, Resilience Scale-14 and Life Orientation Scale-Revised from July 2013 to July 2014. Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were performed to explore the effects of related factors. Hope, resilience and optimism were significantly associated with quality of life. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that hope, resilience and optimism as a whole accounted for 9.8, 24.4 and 21.9% of the variance in the global health status, functioning status and symptom status, respectively. The low level of quality of life for Chinese renal carcinoma patients should receive more attention from Chinese medical institutions. Psychological interventions to increase hope, resilience and optimism may be essential to enhancing the quality of life of Chinese cancer patients.

The Effect of Perceived Organizational Support on Employee Resistance to Change: A Study on Guilan Municipal Staff

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of perceived organizational support in the resistance to change among the official staff of Guilan municipalities. The study population includes all municipalities of the province of Guilan, which has 1631 official staff. The study reached 254 people, which is above the necessary population—224—for the study to reach a meaningful result. The study used stratified random sampling. In this study, a questionnaire, consists of four-parts, was used to collect data. The first part of the variable is related to organizational support that is derived from the research of Apodaca (2010); the second part of the questionnaire related to positive psychological capital variables derived from the research of Sapayaprapa (2013); the third part of the questionnaire related to identifying attitudes of employees regarding to change is derived from the research of Shea et al (2014); and the fourth part of the questionnaire related to the variable resistance to change that is derived from Giangreco (2002). The results of this study, the relationship between perceived organizational support and resistance to change is evident as follows: readiness for change, the relationship between positive psychological capital and the resistance to change and the relationship between perceived organizational support and mediates resistance to change. The negative correlation between readiness for change and resistance to change among government employees in Guilan municipalities.

Perceived physical health in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients: Mediator variables

The aim of this work is to know the mediating role of such variables as social support and cope as other associated with Positive Psychology in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Method: Participants: 140 caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Instruments: Sociodemographic data; CBI Caregiver Burden Scale; COPE Coping Styles Scale; DUKE.UNC Social Support Scale; QOLLTI-F, Quality of Life in Life Threatening Illness Scale–Family Carers Version; SHS, Subjective Happiness Scale; SWLS, Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: The most relevant results refer to the partial mediating role of happiness, quality of life and life satisfaction variables between subjective burden and perceived physical health. Conclusions and discussion: Positive Psychology variables such as happiness, quality of life and life satisfaction have shown a mediating role between the perception that Alzheimer's caregivers have of care burden and physical health. We believe that this finding is an important step in the future development and implementation of intervention programs for caregivers that promote variables with positive connotation, because they would change the perception of their own burden and physical health, making them happier and with greater satisfaction and quality of life.

Presentation of Causal Model for Rumination Based on Negative and Positive Psychological Variables

Introduction: In recent years, the thought patterns in emotional disorders and its role in the continuance of these disorders has greatly drawn attention of the clinical professionals and researchers. The purpose of this study was to offer a causal model for rumination based on positive and negative psychological variables. Materials and Methods: The statistical population in this study included all the students of the Islamic Azad University of Garmsar in the academic year of 2014-2015. Out of these students, 300 persons were selected through an accessible sampling method. First, the instrument of the research was Response Styles Scale of Nolen-Hoeksema, self-compassion scale of Neff, mindfulness scale of Brown & Ryan, and test of Self-Conscious Affect-2 of Tangney and et al. The structural components of the variables were determined using factor analysis and a conceptual model was developed based on psychological variables, then hypothetical model tested by path analysis. Results: Mindfulness directly had a negative effect on rumination and could predict it positively via brooding. Self-compassion directly had a negative effect on rumination and could predict it negatively via brooding. Shame directly had a positive effect on rumination and could predict it positively via brooding. Guilt directly had a positive effect on rumination and could predict it positively via reflection. Conclusion: Among different variables and subfactors, brooding subfactor directly and self-compassion indirectly had the highest share in predicting rumination.

Positive Psychology Progress in India: Accomplishments and Pathways Ahead

The aim of this study is to summarize the developments in the field of positive psychology in India by focusing on research and applications. Since the emergence of the positive psychology movement in the West in 1998, researchers worldwide including India have been influenced by its strength-based approach. Over time, positive psychology in India has garnered an empirical base. This paper attempts to trace the development of the field within India. Various databases such as PsycINFO, Science Direct, PubMed, EBSCO and Shodhganga were searched along with the gray literature according to a set of criteria. Relevant researches were categorized under study characteristics, variables studied and assessment of positive psychology variables. Findings show that well-being is the most widely studied topic in positive psychology in India. Other topics including character strengths and posttraumatic growth also seem to be gaining popularity. Future directions on investigating topics that have not received adequate attention, making efforts to bridge the gap between Indian psychology and positive psychology, addressing cultural issues in positive psychology research, focusing on interdisciplinary and multi-method approach and finally making positive psychology available to the non-scientific community, have been provided. It is hoped that these efforts will enable us to build a positive psychology community. On the basis of this analysis, it may be derived that psychology research in India has started focusing on prevention along with cure.

Integrating Mindfulness into Positive Psychology: a Randomised Controlled Trial of an Online Positive Mindfulness Program

The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of an 8-week online intervention-based Positive Mindfulness Program (PMP) that integrated mindfulness with a series of positive psychology variables, with a view to improving wellbeing scores measured in these variables. The positive mindfulness cycle, based on positive intentions and savouring, provides the theoretical foundation for the PMP. The study was based on a randomised wait-list controlled trial; and 168 participants (128 females, mean age = 40.82) completed the intervention which included daily videos, meditations, and activities. The variables tested included wellbeing measures, such as gratitude, self-compassion, self-efficacy, meaning, and autonomy. Pre- and post- intervention data, including one month after the end of the intervention, were collected from both experimental and control groups. The post-test measurements of the experimental participants showed a significant improvement in all the dependent variables compared with the pre-test ones and were also significantly higher than those of the control group. One month after the intervention, the experimental group participants retained their improvement in 10 out of the 11 measurements. These positive results indicate that PMP may be effective in enhancing wellbeing and other positive variables in adult, non-clinical populations.

Psychological Disorders and Psychosocial Resources of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Bladder and Kidney Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PurposePsychological disorders have been proven to be associated with poor physiological, psychological and immune outcomes in cancer patients. However, despite of many challenges of the changed self-image/body image and the altered sexual/urinary function, relatively little is known about psychological disorders of patients with newly diagnosed bladder and kidney cancer. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the associated psychosocial factors among bladder/kidney cancer patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted of consecutive inpatients with bladder/kidney cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Liaoning Province, northeast China. A total of 489 early-stage cancer patients eligible for this study completed questionnaires on demographic and clinical variables, depression, anxiety, PTSD, perceived social support and positive psychological variables (hope, optimism and resilience) anonymously during October 2013 and August 2014. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between psychosocial resources and psychological disorders, while controlling for possible covariates.ResultsThe prevalence of depression, anxiety and PTSD was 77.5%, 69.3% and 25.2%, respectively, while 24.9% of patients had psychological co-morbidity. Psychosocial resources together explained more than one-third of the variance on psychological disorders. Under standardized estimate (β) sequence, patient’s perception of social support from family was significantly associated with depression, anxiety and PTSD (p < 0.01). Optimism and resilience showed integrated and independent effects on psychological disorders, and hope represented the significant association with PTSD only (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe high prevalence of psychological disorders in newly diagnosed patients with early-stage bladder/kidney cancer should receive more attention in Chinese medical settings. Additionally, in consideration of the different protective effects of psychosocial resources, the present study demonstrated that one complete psychological intervention integrating the associated psychosocial factors are necessary to ameliorate psychological disorders so as to provide patients with a more holistic cancer care.

Psychological correlates of acute postsurgical pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Due to the frequency of surgeries, acute postsurgical pain (APSP) is a common problem. However, the role of psychological factors in the experience of this kind of pain has not been well established. In this review, we focused on presurgical psychological factors associated with the experience of APSP. A systematic search of articles was performed using PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane and DARE. For each study, we assessed the risk of bias, the level of evidence, the corresponding score points and the degree of association with APSP. Separate meta-analyses were performed for the selected variables. Fifty-three relevant publications were selected. Pain catastrophizing, optimism, expectation of pain, neuroticism, anxiety (state and trait), negative affect and depression were classified as likely associated with APSP. Only one of the analysed psychological variables - locus of control - was recognized as shown unlikely association with APSP. Results of meta-analyses suggested that pain catastrophizing was most strongly linked with APSP. Results of the studies reviewed suggest that patients who do not exaggerate the negative aspects of the situation and who have positive expectation of the future before undergoing surgery report lower levels of APSP than patients who catastrophize pain and expect negative events in the future. An increasing interest in preoperative positive psychological variables has been observed over the last few years in studies of surgical patients. WHAT DOES THIS REVIEW ADD?: Pain catastrophizing, optimism, expectation of pain, neuroticism, anxiety (state and trait), negative affect and depression were classified as likely associated with acute postsurgical pain, and locus of control was classified as unlikely associated with acute postsurgical pain. Anxiety was the psychological variable most frequently measured before surgery. Pain catastrophizing was most strongly linked with acute postsurgical pain.

Prevalence and associated positive psychological variables of anxiety and depression among patients with central nervous system tumors in China: a cross-sectional study.

Anxiety and depression have been identified as common psychological distresses faced by the majority of patients with cancer. However, no studies have investigated the relationship between positive psychological variables (hope, optimism and general self-efficacy) and anxiety and depression among patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors in China. Our hypothesis is that the patients with higher levels of hope, optimism or general self-efficacy have lower levels of anxiety and depression when encountered by stressful life events such as CNS tumors. Questionnaires, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Herth Hope Index, the Life Orientation Scale-Revised and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and demographic and clinical records were used to collect information about patients with CNS tumors in Liaoning Province, China. The study included 222 patients (effective response rate: 66.1%). Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the associations among hope, optimism, general self-efficacy and anxiety/depression. Prevalence of anxiety and depression were 42.8 and 32.4%, respectively, among patients with CNS tumors. Hope and optimism both were negatively associated with anxiety and together accounted for 21.4% of variance in anxiety. Similarly, hope and optimism both were negatively associated with depression and accounted for 32.4% of variance in depression. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with CNS tumors should receive more attention in Chinese medical settings. To help reduce anxiety and depression, health care professionals should develop interventions to promote hope and optimism based on patients' specific needs.

Overexcitability: A Psychological Comparison Between Dancers, Opera Singers, and Athletes

Overexcitability is a component in Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. This cross-sectional study investigated the psychological profile, including the five overexcitability dimensions (psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual, emotional), of three talented groups of dancers (n = 84), opera singers (n = 62), and athletes (n = 49). Five self-report instruments assessed positive and negative psychological variables: (a) overexcitability, (b) fantasy proneness, (c) shame, (d) anxiety, and (e) depression. Dancers and opera singers scored significantly higher on all overexcitability dimensions, fantasy proneness, shame, and anxiety in comparison to the athlete group. There were no group differences for depression. Emotional and imaginational overexcitability dimensions significantly predicted shame, anxiety, and depression. Further investigation of overexcitability is warranted given the findings in this study.

The Relationship of Positive Psychological Variables with the Age of Destitute Women in Psychosocial Adaptation

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the importance of positive psychological variables like self-efficacy, optimism, hope, resilience, and well-being in the context of psychosocial adaptation of destitute women staying in rescue homes/short-stay homes in the coastal districts of Odisha, India and their relationship with their age and the implications for old age. The participants were individually administered measures of self-efficacy, optimism, resilience, hope, and well-being. Destitute and non-destitute women were compared on each of these measures. The sample consisted of 300 women (150 destitute women and 150 non-destitute women). The destitute women were randomly sampled from the short-stay homes/rescue homes in the coastal districts of Odisha. Though the age range was from 18 to 45 years (as that is the age they normally have the courage to raise a voice against injustice done to them), there are implications for their later life; if proper intervention programs are done to increase their positive psychological capital, better well-being can be ensured for their old age. The analysis of data involved Product Moment Correlation Coefficient between age and other dimensions. The major implications of the study were formulated and directions for future research were also outlined.

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its correlations with positive psychological variables among Chinese medical students: an exploratory cross-sectional study.

BackgroundKnowledge about the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students and its related factors is rather limited. Understanding the correlates of depressive symptoms and the roles that positive psychological variables play in depressive symptoms is of vital importance for future interventions. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the integrated effects of resilience, hope and optimism on depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students.MethodsThis multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2014. The questionnaires that consisted of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14), Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and socio-demographic characteristics, were distributed to students at four medical colleges or universities in Liaoning province, China. A total of 2925 medical students became the final subjects. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to explore the integrated effects of resilience, hope and optimism on depressive symptoms.ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students was 66.8 % (CES-D ≥ 16). Resilience, hope and optimism were all negatively correlated with depressive symptoms and they accounted for 26.1 % of the variance in depressive symptoms.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students calls for special attention from all stakeholders, especially university authorities. Intervention strategies that focus on enhancing the positive psychological variables of resilience, hope and optimism can be integrated into depression prevention and treatment programs.

Protectores ante la violencia escolar en contexto dominicano: un modelo explicativo desde la psicología positiva

Determinados comportamientos agresivos de los adolescentes preocupan en escuelas de todo el mundo, siendo un problema de especial relevancia en América Latina y región Caribe. En concreto, en la República Dominicana los estudios hablan de prevalencias del 21.8 al 33.6%. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer en qué medida variables como el autoconcepto, la esperanza disposicional, las actitudes emprendedoras y los valores pueden actuar como factores protectores frente a la ocurrencia de dichas conductas violentas. Para ello, se llevó a cabo un estudio en una muestra de 117 estudiantes dominicanos de secundaria. La evaluación incluyó, además de los datos socio-demográficos, escalas de medida de conductas violentas en la escuela, esperanza disposicional, autoconcepto forma 5, actitudes emprendedoras para estudiantes y valores personales. Para evaluar la relación entre las diversas dimensiones, se planteó y estimó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales MIMIC (multiple indicators multiple causes). Bajo este modelo, la esperanza, las actitudes emprendedoras, los valores personales y cuatro dimensiones del autoconcepto predicen con buen ajuste la conducta violenta en la escuela, correctamente aproximada a través de un modelo de medida en seis dimensiones. Los resultados del modelo ofrecen información útil desde dos perspectivas: a) Acercamiento empírico al constructo violencia escolar con saturaciones factoriales satisfactorias para los indicadores de la variable latente o factor; b) Identificación de variables predictoras de la violencia: esperanza, empatía, toma de riesgos en contexto de emprendimiento, valores mixtos (combinación de individual y colectivo) y autoconcepto familiar. En la discusión se recoge la necesidad de trabajar desde la Psicología Positiva las variables halladas más relevantes, para disminuir las conductas violentas en las escuelas de la República Dominicana.

Prevalence and Positive Correlates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Chinese Patients with Hematological Malignancies: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PurposePositive psychological constructs have been given increasing attention in research on the coping resources of cancer-related distresses. However, little research is available on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with hematological malignancies. The purposes of this study were to assess the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and to explore the associations of perceived social support (PSS), hope, optimism and resilience with PTSD symptoms among Chinese patients with hematological malignancies.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted during the period from July 2013 through April 2014. A total of 225 inpatients with hematological malignancies, which were eligible for the study, completed the Post-traumatic Stress Checklist-Civilian Version, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Adult Hope Scale, Life Orientation Scale-Revised, and Resilience Scale. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to explore the correlates of PTSD symptoms.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 10.7%. Initially, PSS was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms (β = -0.248, P < 0.01). However, when positive psychological variables were added, optimism was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms (β = -0.452, P < 0.01), and gender had a significant effect on PTSD symptoms. Women were more vulnerable to these symptoms than men (β = 0.123, P < 0.05). When the analysis was performed separately by gender, only optimism showed a significantly negative association with PTSD symptoms in both men (β = -0.389, P < 0.01) and women (β = -0.493, P < 0.01).ConclusionsSome patients with hematological malignancies suffer from PTSD symptoms. The positive effects of PSS and optimism on PTSD symptoms suggest that an integrated approach to psychosocial intervention from both external and internal perspectives could have practical significance. Gender difference should be considered in developing potential interventions in reducing cancer-related PTSD symptoms.

Genetic and Environmental Effects on Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-Being: Evidence from a Post-Communist Culture

Prior behavioral genetic studies in positive psychology were entirely based on data from Western democracies, leaving the question open whether the magnitude of genetic effects on well-being indicators is similar in substantially different societal contexts. The aim of this study, therefore, was to investigate the structure of the genetic and environmental influences on happiness, life satisfaction, meaning in life, optimism, sense of coherence, and general well-being in a non-Western sample. Altogether, 100 monozygotic and 36 same-sex dizygotic twin pairs from Hungary (73 % female; Mage = 43 years, SD = 16 years) participated in the survey. Univariate classical twin modeling (ACE analysis) was performed using structural equation models. Heritability estimates of the positive psychological variables were largely variable, ranging from 0 % (happiness and meaning in life) to 67 % (life satisfaction). Also, estimates for the influence of common environment fell between 0 % (life satisfaction, sense of coherence, and well-being) and 60 % (meaning in life). Unshared environmental influences however, explained a moderate variance of all investigated variables (33–62 %). Most results were in line with previous findings from Western countries; however, some notable differences—e.g., lower hereditary influence for happiness or more robust role of shared environmental effects for optimism—were also established. These findings suggest that the communist and post-communist legacy did not produce drastic differences in the structure of heritability and environmental influences as compared to countries with longer traditions of democracy and economic prosperity.

The Role of Demographic and Positive Psychological Factors on Quality of Life in Ghanaian Orphans Placed in Orphanages: An Exploratory Study

Much of the literature on predictors of quality of life (QoL) in orphanage-placed children has focussed on psychopathologies with little emphasis on positive psychological factors. Against this background, the present study aimed to explore the influence of demographic variables (age and sex) and positive psychological variables (perceived social support, self-efficacy and resilience) on the overall QoL of 100 orphaned children, who were aged between 7 and 17 years and lived in orphanages in Accra, Ghana. Participants completed measures of quality of life, self-efficacy, resilience, perceived social support and a demographic questionnaire. Analyses indicated that older orphans had higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy than younger orphans. However, older orphans had lower perceptions of support from friends, family and significant others than younger orphans. Moreover, females had higher self-efficacy than males. Furthermore, perceived social support and resilience emerged as significant positive predictors of quality of life. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Examining well-being, anxiety, and self-deception in university students

AbstractThis study examined the combined influence of six positive psychology variables (optimism, hope, self-efficacy, grit, gratitude, and subjective life satisfaction), termed covitality, in relation to buffering individuals against anxiety symptoms. In addition, the influence of self-deception was examined to test whether this construct had an influence on the reporting of these positive psychology variables. A total of 268 individuals (203 females and 65 males) with a mean age of 22.2 years (SD = 7.4 years) from one Queensland university took part in the study. The participants completed an online questionnaire, which included a battery of positive psychological measures, plus a measure of anxiety and self-deception. The results indicated that the covitality constructs had a moderation effect on anxiety. In a regression analysis, the six covitality constructs explained an additional 24.5% of the variance in anxiety, after controlling for self-deception. Further analyses revealed that those higher in ...

Prevalence and Associated Positive Psychological Variables of Depression and Anxiety among Chinese Cervical Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundThe prevalence of depression and anxiety and its associated factors in cervical cancer are not well evaluated in China. Meanwhile, with increasing attention given to positive psychological variables in oncology field, there is a need to conduct a study to explore the integrative effects of positive psychological variables on depression/anxiety so as to provide patients a more holistic cancer care. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression/anxiety as well as the integrative effects of hope, optimism and general self-efficacy on depression/anxiety among Chinese cervical cancer patients.MethodsA multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted of consecutive inpatients at the Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute and the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University in Liaoning Province, northeast China. A total of 224 cervical cancer patients eligible for this study completed questionnaires on demographic and clinic variables, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Herth Hope Index, Life Orientation Scale-Revised, and General Self-Efficacy Scale during February and August 2013.ResultsThe prevalence of depression and anxiety was 52.2% and 65.6% in cervical cancer patients. The anxiety score was significantly higher in patients at the period of 4–6 months after diagnose and at cancer stage II. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that hope, optimism and general self-efficacy as a whole accounted for 31.3% variance of depression and 35.6% variance of anxiety. Under standardized estimate (β) sequence, hope, optimism and general self-efficacy significantly associated with depression, respectively; hope and optimism were also significant individual predictors of anxiety.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of depression and anxiety among cervical cancer patients should receive more attention in Chinese medical settings. More importantly, efforts to develop the integrated psychosocial interventions are effective and necessary to alleviate depression/anxiety in cervical cancer patients by synthesizing and integrating the individual protective effects of hope, optimism and general self-efficacy.

The Relationship of Hope, Optimism, Self-Esteem, Subjective Well-Being, and Personality in Brazilians and Americans

The main objective of this paper was to conduct a cross-cultural study comparing a pool of positive variables in an American and Brazilian sample. The variables were hope, optimism, life satisfaction, affects, self-esteem, and personality. The participants were 179 Americans aged 18 to 61 years and 499 Brazilians aged 17 to 53 years. They answered the following instruments: Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, Life Orientation Test Revised, The Life Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, The Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, NEO-PI-R and Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade. The results showed differences between the two samples regarding the correlations between personality and positive psychology variables. Differences in correlations among the positive psychology variables were also found between Brazilians and Americans. The results showed that Americans had higher scores in hope, positive affect and life satisfaction. Brazilians showed higher scores in optimism and negative affect. One possible explanations for these results are cultural differences and social conditions.

Attachment Style, Social Support, and Coping as Psychosocial Correlates of Happiness in Persons With Spinal Cord Injuries

Objective: To examine the roles of attachment, social support, and coping as psychosocial correlates in predicting happiness in people with spinal cord injuries.Design: Quantitative descriptive research design using multiple regression and correlation techniques.Participants: 274 individuals with spinal cord injuries.Outcome Measures: Happiness as measured by the Subjective Happiness Scale.Results: Functional disability and psychosocial correlates including coping, attachment styles, and social support were found to be associated with happiness scores. Functional disability was found to have a large negative effect on happiness and the effect was significantly reduced after taking into consideration the effect of positive psychology factors.Conclusion: Positive psychology variables are important for happiness and subjective well-being, and happiness in turn is related to better quality of life. The negative relationship between functional disability and happiness can be mediated by attachment, social support, and coping. Rehabilitation professionals should deemphasize negative characteristics related to poor psychological adjustment and focus on positive human traits and positive psychology interventions for people with disabilities.