Optimism and Life Satisfaction of Poles during the Second and Fourth Waves of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly has had a negative impact on human psychological wellbeing, as confirmed by numerous studies. Positive psychology identifies optimism and life satisfaction as important factors having to do with the psychological wellbeing of individuals. This article aims to diagnose the level of optimism and life satisfaction of Poles during the 2nd and 4th waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to identify predictors of optimistic life orientation and life satisfaction in terms of demographic variables. The study was conducted on a group of 1,095 people using the snowball method, via social media. The results confirm a reduction in the level of optimism and life satisfaction of Poles during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the research confirms that resources such as marriage, having children, good education and stable work enhance a person’s level of psychological wellbeing and become a guarantee for better coping during the pandemic.