Optimism about cancer enhances mood by reducing negative social relations

We tested the hypothesis that women who are more optimistic about their recovery from cancer have better emotional adjustment because they evoke more positive and fewer negative reactions from others. Data were collected from good prognosis breast and colon cancer patients (n = 97) at 3 mos (T1) and 11 mos (T2) post-diagnosis. T1 optimism was associated with lower T2 negative affect and higher T2 positive affect, after statistically controlling for level of T1 affect. More importantly, the relation between optimism and affect could be explained by the quality of patients' relationships. Women who were more optimistic about their cancer had better emotional adjustment because they had fewer negative reactions from others when they talked about their cancer. These findings suggest that people who are pessimistic about their recovery from cancer may benefit from participating in social support groups or receiving counseling services.