Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;27(2):151-9. doi: 10.1002/gps.2701. Epub 2011 Mar 8.
Dispositional optimism, defined as a generalized tendency to positive outcome expectancies, is associated with well-being and successful aging. However, it remains unclear whether optimism is also correlated to less feelings of loneliness over time. We aimed to determine whether dispositional optimism is prospectively associated with less feelings of loneliness, independently of potential confounders inherent to the aging process.
We observed 416 older men aged between 70 and 89 years (mean 74.9 years, standard deviation [SD] 4.7 years) within the population-based Zutphen Elderly Study during 10 years of follow-up. Baseline dispositional optimism was assessed using a four-item questionnaire. The presence of feelings of loneliness, the main outcome of our study, was assessed using the 11-item loneliness scale of De Jong Gierveld in the years 1990, 1993, 1995, and 2000. The association between baseline dispositional optimism and loneliness over time was tested by using multilevel regression analysis and by adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, living arrangement, social contacts, widowhood, memberships, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms).
Feelings of loneliness significantly increased during 10 years of follow-up but showed temporal stability (reliability coefficient 0.78). Low baseline dispositional optimism was strongly associated with loneliness over time, also in the adjusted analysis. A 1 SD increase in baseline dispositional optimism was associated with a 0.14 SD (95% confidence interval 0.04-0.23) lower level of loneliness (F(1,320) = 7.8; p = 0.006).
Dispositional optimism is correlated to lower feelings of loneliness over time in older men, independently of depression or changes in social network.
特质乐观主义是指对积极结果期望的普遍倾向，它与幸福感和成功老龄化有关。然而，目前尚不清楚乐观主义是否也与随着时间的推移孤独感的减少有关。我们旨在确定特质乐观主义是否与随着时间的推移孤独感的减少相关，而不受衰老过程中潜在混杂因素的影响。
我们在 10 年的随访中观察了 416 名年龄在 70 至 89 岁之间的（平均 74.9 岁，标准差 [SD] 4.7 岁）老年人，这些老年人均来自基于人群的祖特芬老年人研究。使用四项问卷评估基线特质乐观主义。我们研究的主要结局是孤独感的存在，使用德容·吉弗尔德的 11 项孤独量表在 1990 年、1993 年、1995 年和 2000 年评估。使用多层次回归分析并调整潜在混杂因素（即年龄、居住安排、社会联系、丧偶、会员资格、自我评估健康和抑郁症状）来测试基线特质乐观主义与随时间变化的孤独感之间的关联。
孤独感在 10 年的随访期间显著增加，但具有时间稳定性（可靠性系数 0.78）。低基线特质乐观主义与随时间的孤独感密切相关，即使在调整分析中也是如此。基线特质乐观主义增加 1 个标准差与孤独感降低 0.14 个标准差（95%置信区间 0.04-0.23）相关（F(1,320) = 7.8；p = 0.006）。
在老年男性中，特质乐观主义与随时间推移孤独感的降低相关，独立于抑郁或社交网络的变化。
