Positive thinking in bereavement: Is it related to depression, anxiety, or grief symptomatology?
Abstract
The present study sought to explore the relationship between positive thinking--operationalized as the frequency of positive automatic thoughts and dispositional optimism--and depression, anxiety, and traumatic grief symptomatology. Data were derived from 326 bereaved adults who had 3 yr. earlier experienced the loss of a first degree loved one. Analysis showed that positive thinking was inversely related to measures of depression, anxiety, and traumatic grief symptomatology. However, positive thinking did not covary with anxiety and traumatic grief when shared variance was controlled. Conversely, positive thinking remained inversely related to depression, even when anxiety and traumatic grief were controlled. The findings indicate that, among bereaved individuals, low positive thinking is a cognitive feature of depression that is relatively independent of anxiety and traumatic grief symptomatology.
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Another study showed moderate negative associations between general positive thought and complicated grief symptoms.
“Another study showed moderate negative associations between general positive thought and CG symptoms (Boelen & van den Bout, 2002).”
From Emotion Regulatory Strategies in Complicated Grief: A Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as Boelen & van den Bout, 2002
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Gr ief and Resilience: Implications for Ber eaved College Students
Cather, L. (2009)
- Authors
- Boelen, P. A., & van den Bout, J.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University
- Corresponding author
- Boelen, Paul A.
- ORCID
- Boelen, Paul A.
- Venue
- Psychological Reports
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2002-12
- Volume
- 91
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 857-863
- ISSN
- 0033-2941 (ISSN-L)
- 1558-691X
- OpenAlex
- W2061624179
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Keywords
- positive thinking, bereavement, depression, anxiety, traumatic grief, positive automatic thoughts, dispositional optimism, loss of a loved one
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Anxiety, Attitude, Bereavement, Depression, Female, Grief, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Inventory
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