ABSTRACT

Title: The Influence of Optimism on Trajectories of Wellbeing and Health-Related Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a threat to public health and psychological functioning. Initial studies showed elevated rates of mental illness within the US population after the onset of the pandemic, and the accompanying disruption to financial stability and daily routine are likely to persist. Optimism facilitates adjustment to stressful circumstances and is robustly associated with positive physical and mental health outcomes. Thus, the present study aimed to examine if optimism influenced the trajectories of wellbeing and health-related outcomes such as COVID-19 related perceived stress, health anxiety, and fatigue during the beginning pandemic. Data was collected from 788 American adults across three time periods during the Spring and Summer of 2020 using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTURK). Latent growth curve modeling was used to determine whether optimism predicted the longitudinal trajectories of wellbeing and health-related outcomes. COVID-19 stress (β = -.71, 95% CI [-1.12, -.29]), fatigue (β = -.30, 95% CI [-.47, -.13]), and health anxiety (β = -.16, 95% CI [-0.30, -.03]) dropped over time, while wellbeing remained stable (β = .03, 95% CI [-.11, .16]). Greater dispositional optimism predicted less COVID-19 stress (β = -.55, 95% CI [-.65, -.45), fatigue (β = -.46, 95% CI [-.52, -.39]), and health anxiety initially (β = -.44, 95% CI [-.51, -.37]), as well as greater initial wellbeing (β = .70, 95% CI [.64, .76]). However, optimism was unrelated to change in outcomes over time. POC showed higher initial levels of health anxiety (β = .22, 95% CI [.06, .39]) and fatigue (β = .26, 95% CI [.10,.43]), along with less substantial reductions in COVID-19 stress (β = .42, 95% CI [.03, .82]) compared to White people, but had higher initial levels of wellbeing (β = .12, 95% CI [0.05, .34]). Thus, Americans generally demonstrated resilience during the pandemic, and optimism served as a protective factor predicting initial levels of health-outcomes. Significant health disparities were also observed for POC, along with notable areas of resilience. Future research should identify mechanisms through which optimism promotes positive outcomes under adversity.