The glass is not half empty: optimism, pessimism, and health among older adults

Objectives: Optimism and pessimism are distinct constructs that have demonstrated independent relationships with aspects of health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether optimism or pessimism is more closely linked with physical and mental health among older adults. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Participants: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 272) ages 59-95 in the southern United States. Measurements: The Life Orientation Test-Revised and the Short Form 8. Results: At the bivariate level, optimism was associated with higher physical health and mental health, while pessimism was associated with lower physical health and mental health. Multiple-regression analyses as well as comparison of correlation coefficients found that pessimism was more closely associated with physical health and mental health than optimism. Conclusions: These results add to the literature suggesting that, in terms of older adults' health and well-being, avoiding pessimism may be more important than being optimistic.