title: Patient and partner dispositional optimism as a long-term predictor of illness representations in autoimmune diseases.
abstract: We examined whether the dispositional optimism of patients suffering from an autoimmune disease as well as of their partners can predict, at a dyadic level, their representations of illness consequences, and personal and treatment control, assessed 1 year later. Patient optimism predicted several patient and partner illness representations. Partner optimism was unrelated to own or patient illness representations. Results highlight the strong long-term predictive power of patient optimism and underline the importance of the interpersonal function of personality traits. At the same time, study findings indicate that the dyadic effects of optimism are complex and probably conditional on several factors.
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Karademas
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ktistaki
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimitraki
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papastefanakis
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mastorodemos
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Argyro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Repa
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Irini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gergianaki
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertsias
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Prodromos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sidiropoulos
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simos
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067656:Optimism; D010551:Personality; D011379:Prognosis; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: adaptation to illness; autoimmune disease; dispositional optimism; dyadic analysis; illness representations