Dispositional optimism is the best medicine : the power of positive expectations on adjustment to cancer and chronic disease

Abstract

This review investigates the role of optimism on several aspects of adjustment in the context of cancer and chronic disease. Adjustment was divided into three sections, namely psychological, physical and social adjustment. Optimism has been found to predict better psychological adjustment, and this was partly due to usage of lesser maladaptive but more adaptive emotion-oriented coping strategies. There is also considerable evidence that optimism affects both subjective and objective physical functioning, albeit somewhat inconsistently. Although limited in scope, research suggests that utilising more coping strategies such as finding benefit and proactive behaviour, and minimising the use of avoidant coping may be useful in explaining how optimists have higher physical adjustment. For social adjustment, optimists have been found to have better social functioning and higher perceived social support. A summary model is presented to integrate the research findings in this area and to facilitate future research. Grounds for inconsistencies in the literature are also stated, and future directions are outlined.