Abstract
Optimism is a central concept in the field of positive psychology that focuses on the expectations that people have about the results of their future events. This review presents a synthesis of evidence from primary studies, whose findings reflect the role of optimism in adolescent mental health. This systematic review used a narrative approach for the data, based on the parameters of the Cochrane method and PRISMA. A protocol was registered in PROSPERO (Register number: CRD42019142616). A total of 31 articles, in a cohort of 46,262 adolescents between 13 and 17 years, showed significant primary outcomes which evidenced the role of optimism as a predictor, mediator, and protector of mental health during adolescence. This evidence suggests that optimism contributes significantly to the mental health of adolescents, functioning as a predictor of good mental health, a buffer against the impact of stress, and a protector against pathological symptoms and risk behaviors.
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This systematic review was supported by the Universidade Federal do Pará, Brasil/Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação (PROPESP) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES.
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FR contributed to the conception and design of this systematic review. The literature search was carried out by FR and CN. The data were extracted and analized by FR and CN. Any discrepancies were discussed in group. The manuscript was wrote by FR and revised by CN and JP. The authors agreed with the final manuscript.
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Rincón Uribe, F.A., Neira Espejo, C.A. & Pedroso, J.d. The Role of Optimism in Adolescent Mental Health: A Systematic Review. J Happiness Stud 23, 815–845 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00425-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00425-x