‘The miserable hath no other medicine, but only hope’: Some conceptual considerations on hope and stress

This article focuses on the concept of hope, which is referred to by the literature as one of the positive variables aiding in the process of coping with stress. Two major existing approaches to the topic are mentioned: the dynamic and the cognitive‐behavioural. In addition, my own conceptualization of the subject is developed, trying to integrate these approaches with a developmental approach. The conceptualization is based on six major assumptions that emphasize the separation – individuation process.