The Role of Optimism and Hope in Mental Health

According to the Cambridge dictionary, hope refers to “the feeling that something desired can be had or will happen” What then, is the distinction between hope and optimism? According to Bruininks and Malle’s study (2006), hope involves a decreased degree of control, where outcomes can be more crucial but have a lower likelihood of success. In contrast, optimism involves a high degree of control, with more achievable outcomes. However, some researchers view hope as being action-oriented and motivation-backed (Snyder, 2002, as cited in Laranjeira & Querido, 2022), with optimism depicted as a simpler concept of having expectations for a better future (Abramson, 2024). Either way, both play major roles in keeping a stable mental state. Optimism is correlated with fewer depression symptoms, a higher sense of well-being, and stronger perceptions of social support; hence, optimistic and hopeful people tend to engage in health-promoting behaviors and productive coping mechanisms (Schug et al., 2021; Gallagher et al., 2019). 

Here’s to hoping: focus on your strengths, reframe negative thoughts, spend time with the right company, and optimal goal-setting (see Newport Academy, 2020; Abramson, 2024).

Firstly, emphasising personal strengths allows us to gain confidence to overcome everyday challenges, which fosters a sense of hope and builds resilience. Secondly, engaging in cognitive reframing is useful for challenging critical thoughts and transforming them into something more balanced and productive (Morin, 2024). Thirdly, surrounding yourself with hopeful and optimistic individuals creates an uplifting social support system; “emotional contagion” may occur, a phenomenon where we unconsciously mirror the emotions of the people we come into contact with (Psychology Today, n.d.). Lastly, break down your ultimate goal into smaller, more achievable objectives. With more frequent goal attainment, a big goal would appear less overwhelming and serves as motivation for further progress.

Written by: Adalee Loh | Edited by: Amanda Bek

02/2025

References

Abramson, A. (2024, January 1). Hope as the antidote. American Psychological Association, 55(1), 88. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/01/trends-hope-greater-meaning-life 

Bruininks, P., & Malle, B. F. (2006, July 14). Distinguishing hope from optimism and related affective states. Motivation and emotion, 29, 324-352. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-006-9010-4 

Gallagher, M. W., Long, L. J., Richardson, A., D’Souza, J., Boswell, J. F., Farchione, T. J., & Barlow, D. H. (2019, June 12). Examining hope as a transdiagnostic mechanism of change across anxiety disorders and CBT treatment protocols. Behavior therapy, 51(1), 190-202. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7000132/ 

Laranjeira, C., & Querido, A. (2022, February 24). Hope and optimism as an opportunity to improve the “positive mental health” demand. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 827320. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8907849/ 

Morin, A. (2024, December 5). How cognitive framing works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/reframing-defined-2610419#toc-effectiveness-of-cognitive-reframing 

Newport Academy. (2020, July 6). The connection between hope and mental health. https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/hope-and-mental-health/ 

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Emotional contagion. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/emotional-contagion 

Schug, C., Morawa, E., Geiser, F., Hiebel, N., Beschoner, P., Jerg-Bretzke, L., ... & Erim, Y. (2021, April 6). Social support and optimism as protective factors for mental health among 7765 healthcare workers in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the VOICE study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3827. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3827