Author(s): Vilhena, Estela ; Pais-Ribeiro, José Luís ; Silva, Isabel ; Pedro, Luisa ; Meneses, Rute ; Cardoso, Helena ; Silva, António Martins da ; Mendonça, Denisa
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/2878
Origin: Repositório Científico da Universidade Politécnica de Lisboa
Subject(s): Quality of life; Chronic disease; Statistics; Statistical theory and methods; Statistics for life sciences; Probability theory and stochastic processes
The aim of the present study was to test a hypothetical model to examine if dispositional optimism exerts a moderating or a mediating effect between personality traits and quality of life, in Portuguese patients with chronic diseases. A sample of 540 patients was recruited from central hospitals in various districts of Portugal. All patients completed self-reported questionnaires assessing socio-demographic and clinical variables, personality, dispositional optimism, and quality of life. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the moderating and mediating effects. Results suggest that dispositional optimism exerts a mediator rather than a moderator role between personality traits and quality of life, suggesting that “the expectation that good things will happen” contributes to a better general well-being and better mental functioning.
