Structural Relations between Physical and Mental Health Based on Flourishing Mediated by Optimism in Nursing Students

Recently, special attention has been paid to physical and mental health and its predictors among the researchers of psychology. Health is a multidimensional concept, and its dimensions affect each other and the health of the individual and community. Health is essential to the fulfillment of social roles, and humans should be fully active if they feel healthy and are considered healthy by the society. The nursing profession plays a pivotal role in the provision of healthcare services in every country. Therefore, the physical and mental health of nurses and improving their professional performance in patient care are of utmost importance. Identifying and determining the influential factors in the physical and mental health of nurses is crucial in this regard. The present study aimed to provide a model of prosperity and optimism to better understand the physical and mental health of nursing students. The importance of the research subject is that health is not only defined as the absence of diseases and encompasses physical, mental, and social welfare as well. However, this comprehensive definition is rather ideal and unattainable, and it may not be easy to distinguish between health and disease as such. By this definition, health should be considered a high peak that can never be conquered, while everyone must strive to achieve it. Researchers believe that health and disease are not an absolute and independent state, but rather a process in which the influence of cultural, social, and psychological factors is highlighted in the development of the disease. Considering the valuable role of positivity, studies on the influential factors in mental and physical health are of particular importance. In this regard, the variables of prosperity, positive emotions, and optimism have been shown to affect physical and mental health. The present study aimed to provide a model for the assessment of physical and mental health using flourishing mediated by positive emotions and optimism.

This analytical-correlational study was conducted on the nursing students of Hazrat Fatemeh School of Nursing and Midwifery in Shiraz, Iran in 2019, including 300 subjects (243 females and 57 males). The participants were selected via stratified random sampling and using a questionnaire. Data were collected using SF-36, HFQ, and revised life orientation test (LOT-R). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 and AMOS version 22 software.

The findings showed that the flourishing subscales of positive emotions, relationships, and optimism directly affected the physical and mental health of the students. In addition, the variables of positive emotions and relationships in the final model directly and indirectly caused changes in physical health through the variable of optimism, and the subscale of progress in the final model only had an indirect impact through the variable of optimism. On the other hand, the subscale of meaning had no effect on the physical or mental health of the students.

With regard to the correlation of optimism and physical/mental health, our findings indicated individuals with high optimism are often active, creative, and hardworking, while they are also good initiators and planners. Furthermore, these individuals are able to make the best of stressful situations, which in turn makes them less exposed to the further risks and pressure caused by stressful events. The immune system performs better in the individuals with high optimism, and they have better coping abilities against stress by using more effective coping strategies, such as reassessment and problem-solving. Therefore, it is expected that training on flourishing and increasing optimism through positive psychology techniques could be an effective mechanism to correct false beliefs and prevent psychosomatic and psychological disorders in nursing students. Furthermore, the effects of such training interventions could be intensified with the incorporation of interventional programs in the field of student empowerment against stress.