Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic progressive disease with a shortened life expectancy. In people with CF, depression rates have been measured at twice the global average, which is concerning since depression itself is a risk factor for people with chronic illnesses. This empirical study aims to assess 1) how positive views in the form of optimism, hope and positive primal world beliefs in people with cystic fibrosis compared to the general population and 2) whether positive views correlate with better health and greater well- being in people living with cystic fibrosis.

Method

A cross-sectional design was employed using validated psychology questionnaires to determine levels of positive views in the form of hope, optimism and primal world beliefs in people with CF (n = 117) compared to control groups of healthy volunteers (n = 88, n = 599).

Results:

An independent t-test showed that people with CF did not have statistically significant differences in levels of hope (p = .67) or optimism (p = .63). People with CF also did not have statistically significant differences in levels of the primals Safe (p = .49), Just (p = .61) and Regenerative (p = .28). They did however have statistically significant higher levels of the primals Good (p = .033), Enticing (p = .05) and Improvable (p = .05). Linear regression models showed that optimism, hope and primals did not correlate with FEV1, the standard metric for measuring lung function. 

Conclusion

The data suggests that despite the challenges of living with chronic illness and higher levels of depression, people with CF tend towards optimism and hope and have an overall view that the world is good. Data suggests that positive views about the future and the world can co-exist with elevated rates of depression and are independent from physical health metrics. Further research could assess if cultivating positive views could reduce levels of depression in people with cystic fibrosis.