RNS: Happily Hopeless, November 2009
TIME: 1:48
URL: http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media/newsroom/details.cfm?ID=1359
U-M Health Minute: Today’s top health issues and medical research
U-M research shows chronically ill patients might be happier if they give up hope
Study shows that colostomy patients who felt their condition was irreversible reported better quality of life than those with faith that they would be cured
Suggested lead: Most of us have been told at one time or another ‘to never lose hope.’ This plea is particularly common when dealing with medical problems. But new University of Michigan Health System research indicates that there may be a dark side to hope when dealing with disease or chronic medical conditions. Here is Andi McDonnell with more. . . .
Health professionals find it easier to deliver optimistic news to patients even when they believe the prognosis is unfavorable, justifying it by assuming that holding on to hope was better for the patient.
But, holding on to hope may not make patients happier as they deal with chronic illness or diseases, according to a new study by University of Michigan Health System researchers.
Dr. Peter A. Ubel, (M.D.), director of the U-M Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine and one of the authors of the happily hopeless study tells us . . .
“We do look at hope as an important part of happiness, and I’m not saying we should be taking all hope away from all people in all situations. But we do have to be aware that there’s a dark side of hope. That sometimes, if hope makes you put off getting on with your life, it can get in the way of happiness.”
Ubel and his co-authors studied patients who had new colostomies – their colons were removed and they have to have bowel movements in a pouch that lies outside the body.
Researchers divided the patients into two groups: those that had hope that the colostomy would be reversible, and those who never expected to have normal bowel function again. The second group – the one without hope -- reported being happier through surveys during their recovery.
Ubel explains . . .
“We think that the people with the permanent colostomies, therefore had no hope of normal bowel function, we think they were happier because they got on with their lives. They realized the cards they were dealt, so they had to play with those cards. Whereas the other group were waiting their colostomy to get reversed, were waiting to have normal bowels again. They were waiting, they had their lives on hold.”
Bottom line . . .
“I don’t think it’s ever good to take hope away. I think we have to be careful about building up people’s hope so much so that they put off living their lives.”
Andi McDonnell, U-M Health System News
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