Resilience factors during the Coronavirus pandemic: Testing the main effect and stress buffering models of optimism and positive affect with mental and physical health

This study investigates associations between resilience factors (optimism and positive affect) and self-rated health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longitudinal data were collected (N = 292) across five assessments. Multilevel modeling tested main effects of the resilience factors and how they interacted with stress to predict health. Greater optimism and positive affect were prospectively associated with fewer depressive symptoms (ps < 0.01) and a lower burden of physical health symptoms (ps <0.01). Positive affect interacted with stress to predict depressive symptoms (p < 0.05), suggesting a stress buffering effect. These findings suggest that resilience factors may improve health during COVID-19.