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Hope and Anxiety: A Meta-analytic Review
Angela L Richardson1, Laura J Long2, Matthew W Gallagher3,4
1University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Greater hope is linked to lower anxiety levels, both currently and in the future. This meta-analysis confirms hope as a resilience factor that can be targeted in anxiety interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health
Background:
- Anxiety disorders are increasingly prevalent, driving interest in protective factors.
- Hope, defined as the positive expectancy of agency and pathways to goals, is a potential protective factor.
- Understanding the relationship between hope and anxiety is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analytic review of literature examining the association between hope and anxiety.
- To determine if greater hope is associated with lower anxiety cross-sectionally and longitudinally.
- To explore the relationship between hope and various forms of anxiety, including disorder-specific anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review identified 129 studies.
- 155 unique effect sizes were analyzed, with 108 examining the cross-sectional relationship between hope and trait anxiety (n=31,514).
- Longitudinal data (k=11) and disorder-specific anxiety relationships were also assessed.
Main Results:
- A moderate inverse relationship was found between hope and trait anxiety (r=-0.36).
- The longitudinal association was slightly weaker (r=-0.27).
- Hope was associated with lower levels of disorder-specific anxiety, most notably social anxiety disorder.
Conclusions:
- Hope is prospectively and cross-sectionally associated with lower trait-level anxiety.
- Hope serves as a significant predictor of reduced anxiety and a source of resilience.
- Targeting hope in interventions may be effective for managing anxiety.
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