Optimism and Mental Health in Adolescence: a Prospective Validation Study of the Dutch Life- Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R-A) for Adolescents

Anne Kennes; Sanne Peeters; Mayke Janssens; Jennifer Reijnders; Marianne Simons; Johan Lataster; Nele Jacobs

doi:10.5334/pb.799

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Sample characteristics dropouts and completers and differences between dropouts and completers at baseline.

	DROPOUTS (N = 176)	COMPLETERS (N = 281)	COMPLETERS VERSUS DROPOUTS
Age M(SD)	15.34 (1.90)	14.32 (1.97)	t(455) = –5.32*
Gender
Boys (%)	39.8	38.1	χ² (1) = .123
Girls (%)	60.2	61.9
Country of birth
Born in the Netherlands (%)	93.2	95.4	χ² (1) = 1.265
Born abroad (%)	6.8	4.6
Living-situation
Living with both parents (%)	75.6	77.2	χ² (1) = .201
Others (%)	24.4	22.8
Education level
High¹ (%)	38.1	54.4	χ² (1) = 11.228*
Low² (%)	61.9	45.6
Optimism (3 items) M(SD)	2.52 (.74)	2.69 (.67)	t(455) = 2.56*
Pessimism (3 items) M(SD)	1.86 (.81)	1.64 (.83)	t(455) = –2.85*

[i] Note: * p < .05; 1: higher than vocational education 2: vocational education; M = Mean; SD = standard deviation.

Table 2

CFA Models of the latent structure of the LOT-R-A.

	ONE-FACTOR	TWO-FACTOR (OPTIMISM, PESSIMISM)	TWO-FACTOR (OPTIMISM, RESPONSE STYLE)
χ² (df)	38.827(9)*	20.391(8)*	13.163(5)*
CFI	.924*	.968*	.979*
TLI	.873	.940*	.937*
RMSEA	.085	.058*	.060*
SRMR	.048*	.034*	.027*
AIC	7588	7572	7571
BIC	7605	7651	7661

[i] Note: * Meeting minimally acceptable fit criteria;

χ² = Satorra-Bentler scaled chi-square; df = degree of freedom; CFI = comparative fit index; TLI = Tucker-Lewis index; RMSEA = root mean square error of approximation; SRMR = standardized root mean square residual; AIC = Akaike’s information criterion; BIC = Bayesian information criterion.

Table 3

Standardized factor loadings for the two-factor (optimism, pessimism) structure.

	TWO-FACTOR(OPTIMISM, PESSIMISM)
	OPTIMISM	PESSIMISM
Item 1	.373
Item 4	.518
Item 10	.661
Item 3		.553
Item 7		.579
Item 9		.731

Table 4

Mean, SD of the main study variables at baseline (n = 459).

	M	SD	MIN	MAX
Optimism (LOT-R-A)	2.63	.70	.00	4
Pessimism (LOT-R-A)	1.72	.83	.00	4
EWB (MHC-SF-A)	3.87	.84	.67	5
PWB (MHC-SF-A)	3.64	.84	.83	5
SWB (MHC-SF-A)	3.11	.85	.80	5
Positive emotions (Kidscreen)	24.53	4.03	12	30
Negative emotions (Kidscreen)	11.78	4.95	6	30
Psychological problems (SDQ)	10.36	5.48	0	32

[i] Note: M = Mean; SD = standard deviation EWB = emotional well-being;

PWB = psychological well-being; SWB = social well-being;

MHC-SF-A = Mental Health Continuum-Short form for Adolescents;

SDQ = Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Table 5

Bivariate cross-sectional correlations of optimism with validation measures at baseline (n = 459).

	OPTIMISM	PESSIMISM
Positive emotions (Kidscreen)	.613*	–.428*
Negative emotions (Kidscreen)	–.580*	.470*
EWB (MHC-SF-A)	.529*	–.354*
PWB (MHC-SF-A)	.574*	–.371*
SWB (MHC-SF-A)	.435*	–.129*
Psychological problems (SDQ)	–.509*	.498*

[i] Note: * p < .05; EWB = emotional well-being;

PWB = psychological well-being; SWB = social well-being;

MHC-SF-A = Mental Health Continuum-Short form for Adolescents;

SDQ = The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Table 6

Regression analyses predicting well-being and psychological problems at follow-up.

PREDICTOR	EWB B (SE)	PWB B (SE)	SWB B (SE)	PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS B (SE)
F(4, 280)	72.9*	83.9*	70.2*	71.3*
R²	51%	55%	51%	52%
Age	–.096(.021)*	–.066(.020)*	–.094(.021)*	.241(.033)*
Gender	–.089(.080)	–.026(.076)	–.026(.087)	–.042(.126)
Education level	–.013(.078)	–.092(.073)	–.046(.076)	.250(.123)
EWB (baseline)	.493 (.055)*
PWB (baseline)		.594 (.053)*
SWB (baseline)			.579 (.050)*
Psychological problems (baseline)				.121 (.013)*
Optimism	.326 (.070)*	.250 (.068)*	.153 (.064)*	–.261 (.109)*

[i] Note: * p < .05; EWB = emotional well-being; PWB = psychological well-being;

SWB = social well-being; SE = Standard Error.