That might also be why optimists usually do better than pessimists in many studies of patient recovery rates, experts say.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal who tracked 100 patients with head or neck cancer found that optimists had a greater chance of surviving a year after diagnosis, regardless of how advanced the illness was when diagnosed.
Another team at Carnegie Mellon University spent a year tracking 300 patients who had coronary bypass operations in the 1990s. Patients with a positive attitude - measured by a simple personality survey - were significantly less likely to be rehospitalized within a year .
"It's not just that optimistic people feel better, they actually do better," said Michael Scheier, who is head of the psychology department at Carnegie Mellon.
One explanation: Optimists might have better coping strategies, seeking advice from doctors and support from friends rather than becoming fatalistic.
"Expectations do influence behaviors. They influence how you think about stroke and how you respond to it," said Lynn Grattan, a neurology professor who has studied stroke recovery rates at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
dennis.obrien@baltsun.com
To find out whether you're an optimist (and a good candidate for placebo therapy) visit The Sun's Maryland Med Blog at weblogs.baltimoresun.com/maryland/doctor/blog.
