Longitudinal effects of psychological resources on chronic conditions : the mediating roles of allostatic load and health behaviors

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the longitudinal effects of psychological resources on chronic conditions, and the mediating roles of allostatic load and health behaviors. Methods: Participants (N=850) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) cohort completed psychological resources surveys, biomarker collection, and a health assessment over the course of 10 years. Path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect effects of psychological resources (baseline) on chronic conditions (7-10 years follow-up). Results: Psychological resources were negatively associated with chronic conditions directly (ƅ = -.219, p < 0.001) and indirectly through allostatic load (ƅ = -.019, p < 0.05), but not through health behaviors (ƅ = -.008, p = 0.093). Discussion: This study highlights the importance of psychological resources and their positive influence on chronic conditions. Future research should examine additional potential mechanisms by which psychological resources have beneficial effects on chronic conditions