A new study has revealed that developing optimism and learning how to flexibly cope can help maintain and improve mental health in diverse situations. A team of researchers from Syracuse University and Michigan State University has conducted the study.
The researchers explored the personal characteristics that help people handle prolonged stressors, such as the pandemic. The study was published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Led by Jeewon Oh, assistant professor of psychology in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the group utilised data from the Health and Retirement Study, a large-scale panel study that gathers a nationally representative sample of Americans aged 50 and older. The team used this data to explore how people’s mindsets affected their psychological and physical well-being during challenging times.
They found that greater optimism promotes resilience and well-being when faced with stressors like the pandemic, while lower pessimism is linked to safer health behaviours.
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‘The pandemic introduced many changes, and we wanted to know more about personality traits that can help people cope with enduring and uncontrollable stressors like the pandemic. We examined optimism, because it motivates action,’ said Oh.
Since optimists view stressful situations positively, they are more likely to directly address the issue or try to adapt when things are uncontrollable. Both optimism and pessimism had independent associations with psychological well-being. So, people who are more optimistic and less pessimistic worried less, were less stressed and lonely and were more resilient.
This was partly because these people engaged in more physical activity and perceived more social support and less strain from their relationships.This positive mindset helps people to problem-solve and cope.