Hope, Optimism, and Clinical Pain: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Generalized expectancies have been theorized to play key roles in pain-related outcomes, but the empirical findings have been mixed. Purpose: The primary aim of this meta-analysis was to quantify the relationships between two of the most researched positive generalized expectancies (i.e., hope and optimism) and pain-related outcomes (i.e., pain severity, physical functioning, and psychological dysfunction) for those experiencing clinical pain. Methods: A total of 96 studies and 31,780 participants with a broad array of pain diagnoses were included in analyses, using random-effects models. Results: Both hope and optimism had negative correlations with pain severity (hope: r = -.168, p