L’optimisme et COVID-19 : une ressource pour soutenir les personnes en situation de confinement ?

This text envisages looking at the psychological consequences of the health situation related to COVID-19 from the concept of optimism. Positive psychology has for several years been dealing with this concept, which is well known to the general public, but which has been the subject of major conceptual development in the field of science. It seems to us that the concept of optimism can be particularly useful in understanding and influencing the behaviour of our fellow citizens during the period of confinement that is currently imposed on everyone, in the same way that we must consider the consequences in the short, medium and long term, both economically and in terms of the moral and physical health of our fellow citizens, that is, after the period of confinement. Traditionally, being optimistic means being confident in the positive outcome of an event, whereas pessimism means expecting the worst. The uncertainty that this virus imposes on us and the new situations that it brings about, forces us to think the world in uncertain terms, which can be destabilizing. Understanding the contribution of the concept of optimism in the potential of the adaptive processes that each of us may or may not be able to mobilize to face and adapt to this unprecedented and unprecedented health crisis is essential. This will undoubtedly be a major challenge for the social sciences and psychology. This is why we believe that the concept of optimism can help to provide additional insights that will enable us to better grasp the rational (or non-rational) behaviours that we may face in the future, and in which we are already involved.