Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice
Published on: October 24, 2018
The stress-buffering effects of hope on adjustment to multiple sclerosis
Sindia Madan1, Kenneth I Pakenham
1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia, sindia.madan@uqconnect.edu.au.
Background:
Hope is an important resource for coping with chronic illness; however, the role of hope in adjusting to multiple sclerosis (MS) has been neglected, and the mechanisms by which hope exerts beneficial impacts are not well understood.
Purpose:
This study aims to examine the direct and stress-moderating effects of dispositional hope and its components (agency and pathways) on adjustment to MS.
Method:
A total of 296 people with MS completed questionnaires at time 1 at 12 months later and time 2. Focal predictors were stress, hope, agency and pathways, and the adjustment outcomes were anxiety, depression, positive affect, positive states of mind and life satisfaction.
Results:
Results of regression analyses showed that as predicted, greater hope was associated with better adjustment after controlling for the effects of time 1 adjustment and relevant demographics and illness variables. However, these direct effects of hope were subsumed by stress-buffering effects. Regarding the hope components, the beneficial impacts of agency emerged via a direct effects mechanism, whereas the effects of pathways were evidenced via a moderating mechanism.
Conclusion:
Findings highlight hope as an important protective coping resource for coping with MS and accentuate the roles of both agency and pathways thinking and their different modes of influence in this process.
Related Concept Videos
Unrealistic Optimism Bias
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques II
Type A Personality: Driven and Easily Stressed
Individuals with Type A personalities are often highly competitive and ambitious and operate with a strong sense of urgency. Commonly labeled as...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...

