Psy 220 - Optimism and Health

Optimism and Health

Amber Kalk

PSY/220

February 28, 2016

Kathleen Sturgess

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (n.d), the Latin origin of optimism comes from the word optimum meaning best. Therefore, it would only be accurate to say that an optimistic person generally expects the best results from any situation. Optimism is characterized as a mental attitude and is used as a defense against depressive or worrisome unhappiness. Dr. Geetika Patnaik (2013) identifies the importance of maintaining good mental health and its fundamental role in living a long healthy life.

According to Dr. Patnaik (2013), research shows the relationship between optimism and health regarding physical symptoms and coping abilities. Studies have found that optimists were not more likely than pessimists to report pain alleviation despite the differences in their views and psychological well-being. Emotional and mental well-being offers the tools to handle issues in life while sustaining a positive outlook on life. There is increasing evidence confirming that emotional abilities are related to pro-social behaviors like managing stress and maintaining physical health (Richards, Campania and Musse-Burke, 2010).

Two approaches to well-being are subjective or psychological. Dr. Patnaik (2013) suggests that well-being is feeling good more often than feeling bad. Subjective well-being is the presence of positive mood and overall satisfaction, while psychological well-being relates to personal growth and development. People use optimism in order to produce positive moods and emotions that can influence our thoughts and further act as motivation. People who have psychological well-being have a greater sense of competence, belonging, self-acceptance, and purpose. That is why psychological well-being is essential to authentic happiness and overall well-being.

Dr. Patnaik (2013) discusses research results that validate that the health benefits associated with positive thoughts and emotions. Positive thoughts and emotions are found to affect all aspects of our lives such as mental function, emotional and physical resilience, and even longevity. Fredrickson (2004), researcher in positive psychology, summarizes her findings under four conclusions. First, positive emotions alter peoples mindset, widen scope of attention, broaden behavioral repertoires, increase intuition, and increase creativity. Second, positive emotions alter bodily systems, speedy recovery, from cardiovascular illnesses, alter frontal brain asymmetry, and increases immune function. Third, positive emotions predict positive outcomes in mental and physical health, resilience to adversity, increased happiness, psychological growth, and lower levels of cortisol (hormone released under stress that impairs immune functioning). Fourth, Fredrickson (2004) concludes positive emotional content and greater longevity.