On the Confluence of Optimism and Hope on Depressive Symptoms in Primary Care Patients: Does Doubling up on Bonum Futurun Proffer Any Added Benefits?

A model involving optimism and hope as predictors of depressive symptoms was tested in a sample of 28 male and 67 female primary care patients. Beyond the distinct influence of the two predictors on depressive symptoms, optimism and hope were also hypothesized to interact together to predict depressive symptoms. Results of a regression analysis indicated that, independent of demographic variables (viz. age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, and educational level), optimism and hope were significant and unique predictors of depressive symptoms in adults. Noteworthy, beyond optimism and hope, the Optimism × Hope interaction term was found to significantly augment the prediction of depressive symptoms. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.