The Impact of an Optimism Training Intervention on Biological Measures Associated With Cardiovascular Health: Data From a Randomized Controlled Trial

The underlying mechanisms by which Post-Traumatic Growth is associated with cardiovascular health in male UK military personnel: The ADVANCE cohort study

Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is associated with good cardiovascular health, but the mechanisms of this are poorly understood. This cross-sectional analysis assessed whether factors of PTG (Appreciation of Life (AOL), New Possibilities (NP), Personal Strength (PS), Relating to Others (RTO) and Spiritual Change (SC)) are associated with cardiovascular health in a cohort of 1006 male UK military personnel (median age 34). The findings suggest AOL, PS and RTO are associated with better cardiovascular health through cardiometabolic effects (lower levels of triglycerides, and total cholesterol) and haemodynamic functioning (lower diastolic blood pressure), but not inflammation. However, NP and SC were associated with poorer cardiovascular health through cardiometabolic effects (lower levels of high-density lipoproteins and higher levels of total cholesterol) and AOL had a non-linear association with low-density lipoproteins. These findings suggest that the relationship between PTG and cardiovascular functioning is complex and in need of further scrutiny.

Optimism, Lifetime Financial Stressors, and Mental Health Among Racially, Sexually, and Gender Minoritized Emerging Adults

BACKGROUND

Although racially, sexually, and gender minoritized (RSGM) persons experience chronic and sometimes severe financial life stressors that increase their risk of mental health problems across the life course, no studies in this population have examined psychological resilience factors, such as optimism, that may mitigate these negative effects.

PURPOSE

To investigate how exposure to financial stressors is associated with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization, and whether optimism moderates these associations.

METHOD

Two hundred and eighty-five RSGM emerging adults (Mage = 25.18, SD = 1.94) completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory and Brief Symptom Inventory online. Participants were Black (22.1%), Latinx (57.9%), and biracial Black-Latinx (20%), and they primarily identified as male (94.7%) and gay (74.2%).

RESULTS

As hypothesized, multiple regression analyses with interaction terms indicated that more frequent and severe acute and chronic lifetime financial stressors were related to greater anxious, depressive, and somatic symptoms. Moreover, greater optimism was associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Additionally, greater optimism was associated with fewer somatic symptoms than lower optimism when exposed to more financial stressors. Similarly, greater optimism attenuated the negative effects of greater financial stressors' severity on depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Financial stressors are related to worse mental health among RSGM emerging adults, and optimism may mitigate these effects. Screening for lifetime financial stressors and bolstering optimism may help reduce mental health disparities related to financial stressors in this population.

Positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health

Positive psychological well-being (PPWB) is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in cardiovascular health of both healthy individuals and those with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This mini-review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on the relationship between PPWB and cardiovascular health, examining relevant studies on PPWB in both populations. The conceptualization of PPWB encompasses hedonic and eudaimonic facets, with constructs such as optimism, purpose in life, and vitality playing crucial roles. Studies among healthy individuals show a significant association between PPWB and improved cardiovascular health indicators, while research among cardiac patients highlights the importance of PPWB in predicting outcomes such as mortality and rehospitalization. Mechanistic pathways linking PPWB and cardiovascular health include biological processes, health behavior changes, and additional psychological resources that mitigate stress. Despite the growing evidence, questions remain unanswered, necessitating further research to understand these relationships and develop effective interventions. Promoting psychological well-being alongside physical health can enhance cardiovascular disease prevention and management, offering a comprehensive approach to improving patient outcomes and overall well-being.

The effects of nurse-led spiritual care on psychological well-being in the healthcare services of patients with cardiovascular diseases in Iran: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly impacts patients' lives, affecting not only their physical health but also their spiritual well-being. While holistic care acknowledges the importance of addressing spiritual needs, the integration of nurse-led spiritual care within CVD management remains understudied.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of spiritual and psychological interventions in enhancing quality of life and reducing anxiety among CVD patients.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search across multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, SID, Magiran, and Web of Science) for relevant articles published in English and Persian between 2013 and 2023. The risk of bias in included experimental and quasi-experimental studies was assessed using ROB 2 and ROBINS-I scales.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 1416 articles. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, along with qualitative evaluation, 15 studies with a total of 1035 participants were selected for review. These studies explored the impact of spiritual interventions (e.g., healthy heart model, emotion-oriented approach, communication with a higher power, acceptance, and relationship improvement) on anxiety, stress, life expectancy, depression, blood parameters, spiritual experiences, pain, and negative emotions in CVD patients. All reviewed studies reported positive outcomes with spiritual interventions, demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing anxiety, depression, pain, stress, and negative emotions, while also improving quality of life and possibly life expectancy.

CONCLUSION

Integrating spiritual care into routine care for CVD patients presents a promising approach to improve their overall well-being. This review highlights the effectiveness of spiritual interventions in reducing various negative emotions and enhancing quality of life.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42023448687).

Optimism, pessimism, and physical health among youth: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

High levels of optimism (and low levels of pessimism) are associated with improved physical health in adults. However, relatively less is known about these relations in youth. The present study aimed to review the literature investigating optimism, pessimism, and physical health in children and adolescents from populations with and without health conditions.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review up until February 2024. Studies were included if they sampled youth (average age ≤18 years) and treated optimism or pessimism as predictors of health behaviors or outcomes. Data on study and sample characteristics, health outcome, optimism construct, and findings were extracted from eligible papers and results were synthesized.

RESULTS

Sixty studies were retained. Most studies were conducted in North America, with adolescents, and used cross-sectional designs and self-reported measures of health. Measures of optimism and pessimism differed across studies. Roughly one-third of studies sampled medical populations. Health categories included substance use, diet and physical activity, sexual health practices, medical adherence, other health behaviors, cardiometabolic health, subjective health/health-related quality of life, pain, sleep, and oral health. Generally, we observed adaptive associations between optimism and health. Higher optimism and lower pessimism were most consistently associated with lower rates of substance use and lower cardiometabolic risk.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of optimism or the absence of pessimism appears to be associated with various adaptive health outcomes among youth with and without health conditions. Developmental, methodological, and clinical considerations for future research are discussed, such as conducting longitudinal studies with objective measures of health and psychometrically validated instruments.

Stress-Induced Hypercoagulability: Insights from Epidemiological and Mechanistic Studies, and Clinical Integration

By integrating findings from comprehensive reviews, meta-analyses, and cutting-edge genetic studies, this article illuminates the significance of stress-induced hypercoagulability in clinical medicine. In particular, the findings from numerous prospective cohort studies indicate that stress and hemostatic factors of a hypercoagulable state are associated with increased incident risk and poor prognosis for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and venous thromboembolism. Mendelian randomization studies suggest that these associations are partially causal. The review synthesizes extensive research on the link between acute and chronic stress and hypercoagulability, outlining a potential pathway from stress to thrombosis risk. Consistent with the allostatic load concept, acute stress-induced hypercoagulability, initially adaptive, can turn maladaptive under chronic stress or excessive acute stress, leading to arterial or venous thrombotic events. Individuals with predisposing factors, including atherosclerosis, thrombophilia, or immobilization, may exhibit an increased risk of thrombotic disease during stress. Contextual sociodemographic characteristics, the stress experience, and coping resources additionally modulate the extent of stress-induced hypercoagulability. Research into the neuroendocrine, cellular, and molecular bases reveals how stress influences platelet activation coagulation and fibrinolysis. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, along with vagal withdrawal, and the effects of catecholamines, cortisol, and vasopressin, are the central mechanisms involved. Hemoconcentration, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and thrombopoiesis additionally contribute to stress-induced hypercoagulability. Further research is needed to prove a causal link between chronic stress and hypercoagulability. This includes exploring its implications for the prevention and management of thrombotic diseases in stressed individuals, with a focus on developing effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions.

The effects of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in patients with cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Positive psychology interventions (PPIs) have been found to be effective for psychiatric and somatic disorders. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesize studies examining the effectiveness of PPIs and to examine their effects on mental well-being and distress using meta-analyses.

METHODS

This study was preregistered on OSF (https://osf.io/95sjg/). A systematic search was performed in PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus. Studies were included if they examined the effectiveness of PPIs on well-being for patients with CVD. Quality assessment was based on the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias. Three-level mixed-effects meta-regression models were used to analyze effect sizes of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

RESULTS

Twenty studies with 1222 participants were included, of which 15 were RCTs. Included studies showed high variability in study and intervention characteristics. Meta-analyses showed significant effects for mental well-being (β = 0.33) and distress (β = 0.34) at post-intervention and the effects were still significant at follow-up. Five of the 15 RCTs were classified as having fair quality, while the remaining had low quality.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that PPIs are effective in improving well-being and distress in patients with CVD and could therefore be a valuable addition for clinical practice. However, there is a need for more rigorous studies that are adequately powered and that help us understand what PPIs are most effective for which patient.

Association of positive psychological well-being with circulating inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Accumulating evidence shows a protective effect of positive psychological well-being (PPWB) on health outcomes. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. One pathway relates to enhanced immune functioning (Boehm, 2021). The aim of this project was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between PPWB and circulating inflammatory biomarkers and determine the magnitude of this association. After examining 748 references, 29 studies were included. Results from over 94'700 participants revealed a significant association between PPWB and reduced levels of interleukin (IL)-6 (r=-0.05; P<.001) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (r=-0.06; P<.001) with a heterogeneity of I² = 31.5% and I² = 84.5%, respectively. Only the association of PPWB with CRP was independent of co-variates included in the individual studies (r=-0.04; P=.027),. The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that PPWB is associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers IL-6 and CRP in the circulation. Such relationships with inflammatory biomarkers may partly explain positive effects of PPWB on health.

Positive Psychology Interventions in Medical Populations: Critical Issues in Intervention Development, Testing, and Implementation

Positive psychological well-being is prospectively associated with superior health outcomes. Positive psychology interventions have promise as a potentially feasible and effective means of increasing well-being and health in those with medical illness, and several initial studies have shown the potential of such programs in medical populations. At the same time, numerous key issues in the existing positive psychology literature must be addressed to ensure that these interventions are optimally effective. These include (1) assessing the nature and scope of PPWB as part of intervention development and application; (2) identifying and utilizing theoretical models that can clearly outline potential mechanisms by which positive psychology interventions may affect health outcomes; (3) determining consistent, realistic targets for positive psychology interventions; (4) developing consistent approaches to the promotion of positive psychological well-being; (5) emphasizing the inclusion of diverse samples in treatment development and testing; and (6) considering implementation and scalability from the start of intervention development to ensure effective real-world application. Attention to these six domains could greatly facilitate the generation of effective, replicable, and easily adopted positive psychology programs for medical populations with the potential to have an important impact on public health.

Adolescent Psychological Assets and Cardiometabolic Health Maintenance in Adulthood: Implications for Health Equity

Background Positive cardiometabolic health (CMH) is defined as meeting recommended levels of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in the absence of manifest disease. Prior work finds that few individuals-particularly members of minoritized racial and ethnic groups-meet these criteria. This study investigated whether psychological assets help adolescents sustain CMH in adulthood and explored interactions by race and ethnicity. Methods and Results Participants were 3478 individuals in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (49% female; 67% White, 15% Black, 11% Latinx, 6% other [Native American, Asian, or not specified]). In Wave 1 (1994-1995; mean age=16 years), data on 5 psychological assets (optimism, happiness, self-esteem, belongingness, and feeling loved) were used to create a composite asset index (range=0-5). In Waves 4 (2008; mean age=28 years) and 5 (2016-2018; mean age=38 years), CMH was defined using 7 clinically assessed biomarkers. Participants with healthy levels of ≥6 biomarkers at Waves 4 and 5 were classified as maintaining CMH over time. The prevalence of CMH maintenance was 12%. Having more psychological assets was associated with better health in adulthood (odds ratio [OR]_{linear trend}, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.01-1.25]). Subgroup analyses found substantive associations only among Black participants (OR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.00-1.82]). Additionally, there was some evidence that racial and ethnic disparities in CMH maintenance may be less pronounced among participants with more assets. Conclusions Youth with more psychological assets were more likely to experience favorable CMH patterns 2 decades later. The strongest associations were observed among Black individuals. Fostering psychological assets in adolescence may help prevent cardiovascular disease and play an underappreciated role in shaping health inequities.

Optimistic orientation and frailty in community-dwelling older adults: Results from KFACS study

OBJECTIVES

Optimistic orientation is linked to several benefits, including better-coping skills, lower stress levels, and better physical health. This study aimed to identify whether optimistic orientation is associated with physical frailty and whether it is related to each component of physical frailty.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2019 survey data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study, which included 1203 participants aged 70-84 years. Frailty was defined using the Fried frailty phenotype and optimistic orientation was assessed using the Life Orientation Test-Revised.

RESULTS

Optimistic orientation and frailty were negatively correlated (r = -0.214, p < 0.001). After adjusting for several variables, the relationship between optimistic orientation and physical frailty was only significant in women (odds ratio [OR] = 2.960, 95 % confidence interval [CI]:² 1.375-6.371). Regarding the relationship with the five components of the physical frailty phenotype, the least optimistic women were more exhausted (OR = 1.829, 95 % CI: 1.224-2.732) and weaker (OR = 1.955, 95 % CI: 1.197-3.192) after adjusting for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking, education, marital status, social activity, living alone, family income, cognitive state, nutritional status, comorbidity, and depression.

DISCUSSION

Optimistic orientation was negatively associated with physical frailty only in women. Among the components of physical frailty, exhaustion and weakness are associated with optimistic orientation in women.

Psychological Well-Being in Childhood and Cardiometabolic Risk in Middle Adulthood: Findings From the 1958 British Birth Cohort

Childhood adversity is linked to poor cardiometabolic outcomes, but less is known about positive childhood factors. Using data from 4,007 members of the 1958 British Birth Cohort, we investigated whether children with greater psychological well-being had lower adulthood cardiometabolic risk. At age 11, participants wrote essays about their future. Two judges rated each essay for nine psychological well-being items (Finn's r = .82-.91), which were combined into a standardized overall score (Cronbach's α = .91). When participants reached age 45, nurses assessed their blood pressure, heart rate, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein, which were standardized and summed for total cardiometabolic risk. Regressions indicated that children with greater psychological well-being had lower cardiometabolic risk (b = -0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.28, -0.006]): specifically, healthier total cholesterol (b = -0.04, 95% CI = [-0.07, -0.003]) and triglycerides (b = -0.06, 95% CI = [-0.09, -0.02]). Childhood psychological well-being may promote adulthood cardiometabolic health.

Positive psychological well‐being and cardiovascular disease: Exploring mechanistic and developmental pathways

Empirical research regarding the health benefits of positive psychological well‐being (e.g., positive emotions, life satisfaction, purpose in life, and optimism) has flourished in recent years, particularly with regard to cardiovascular disease. This paper reviews the state of evidence for well‐being's association with cardiovascular disease in both healthy individuals and those diagnosed with a disease. Prospective studies consistently indicate well‐being reduces cardiovascular events in healthy and, to a lesser extent, patient populations. Potential pathways that link well‐being with cardiovascular disease are discussed (including health behaviors, physiological processes, and stress buffering), although the existing evidence is mostly cross‐sectional which limits conclusions about directionality. Issues related to development across the lifespan are considered and childhood is identified as a crucial period for establishing healthy cardiovascular trajectories. Outstanding questions for future research are provided with recommendations to focus on well‐powered and prospective study designs with rigorous assessment of both well‐being and cardiovascular‐related outcomes.