本研究之主要目的在瞭解慢性病人之性格樂觀對於其生活適應、壓力因應策略、壓力適應能力之關係。本研究係以隨機抽樣方法，抽取217位慢性病人為樣本，經施以「生活取向量表」、「個人壓力因應策略量表」與「個人生活適應量表」後，以SPSS 10.0 for Windows及Amos 5.0統計軟體進行t考驗、單因子變異數分析、積差相關分析與結構方程模式分析。本研究之重要發現如下：一、社經地位愈高、年齡愈輕的受試者其性格樂觀得分愈高。二、悲觀的受試者較常採用限制因應、尋求支持、否認、放棄、採取行動，且心理、家庭與人際適應均較樂觀組為差。三、性格愈樂觀者愈不可能尋求朋友、家庭的支持，心理、人際與家庭等三方面的適應愈佳，相反地，慢性病人性格愈悲觀，愈可能採用否認的壓力因應策略，且有較差的人際適應。

The main purposes of this study were to explore the relationships among optimism, coping responses, and adjustment of the chronic illness patients. The subjects, 217 the chronic illness patients who stratified randomly in Taiwan, were administered by Life Orient Scale, Life Adaptation Scale, and Coping Responses Scale. T test, One-way ANOVA, Person Correlation, and Structure Equation Modeling were used for the data analysis. The results of this study were as follows: 1. There were significant differences in socioeconomic status, age on optimism.
2. Significant correlation between optimism and coping responses, adjustment were found, based on Person Correlation. 3. The variables of optimism could significantly predict the support seeking, mental adjustment, relationship adjustment, and family adjustment. Besides, the variables of pessimist could significantly predict the coping response (deny), and relationship adjustment.