A sizeable literature has implicated hopelessness in the phenomenological experience of various mood disorders, vulnerability to psychopathology, and overall poor psychological functioning. By contrast, how hope contributes to resilience and well-being has been understudied. This systematic review integrates findings from cross-sectional, longitudinal, ambulatory, and experimental studies that investigate the impact of hope and well-being outcomes in both healthy and clinical populations. Although the literature is not without theoretical gaps and methodological inconsistencies, the pattern of findings suggests that aggregate or trait measures of hope provide the most consistent evidence of a direct association between hope and well-being in healthy and clinical populations. More limited empirical data exists on the protective effects of hope. The chapter concludes that more rigorous and theoretically informed research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about the possible beneficial impact of hope on well-being.

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