The role of optimism and sense of coherence in predicting recovery following surgery

Two health promoting personality variables, optimism and sense of coherence, were investigated for their ability to predict surgical recovery. A range of positive and negative aspects of recovery following elective surgery for joint replacement were monitored in a group of 57 patients (30 male and 27 female) in a regional New Zealand hospital. Data were collected one or two days prior to surgery, a few days after surgery, and again at a six-week post-surgery check. Surgeons also rated patients' recovery. Both patient and surgeon ratings showed substantial improvement following surgery. Patients reported significantly less pain and distress, and increased positive well-being and self-rated health. Sex differences were found in reported levels of these variables, but not in recovery rates. Optimism and sense of coherence were found to predict improvement in positive aspects of recovery after controlling for pre-surgery levels. Coherence was found to be a more important predictor than optimism in this context. However these personality factors did not predict improvement in distress or pain. Mechanisms linking personality factors to surgical recovery are discussed.