An Optimistic View Can Help Protect Person's Health When Faced With Family Member's Death and Illness

Healing After Stress

In the first large-scale prospective study, researchers demonstrate the protective effects of an optimistic life orientation on health after experiencing a specific life stress situation. This effect was found to occur independently of a person's actions compared to other life events that can be caused by a person's actions, like some accidents. Furthermore, this study assessed a person's level of optimism and pessimism before the event, which lessens the possibility of the event actually changing a person's level of optimism. These results are reported on in the July issue of Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Universities of Helsinki and Turku and University College London examined the health changes in 5,007 employees after they experienced a major life event (death or onset of severe illness in family). The employees' pessimism and optimism levels were assessed three years prior to the stressful life event and again after the life event. A major stressful life event was defined as (1) death of a spouse or child, (2) severe illness of spouse, or (3) severe illness of another family member.

A person's health was determined by how many sick days he or she took during a period covering 36 months prior to the event and 18 months after the event, said lead author Mika Kivimaki, Ph.D. The employees' health was monitored for the entire 55