Experience of life hassles and psychological adjustment among adolescents: does it make a difference if one is optimistic or pessimistic?

This study examined optimism–pessimism as a moderator of the link between recent hassles and psychological maladjustment (viz. depressive symptoms and hopelessness) in a sample of adolescents (N=263). Results indicated that optimism–pessimism and hassles significantly predicted scores on each adjustment measure. Moreover, a significant Optimism–Pessimism×Hassles interaction was found in predicting depressive symptoms and hopelessness. Consistent with the proposed interaction model, a plot of the significant interactions indicated that the link between hassles and poor psychological adjustment was significantly more exacerbated for pessimistic compared to optimistic adolescents. Implications of the present findings are discussed.