Self-efficacy, optimism, health competence, and recovery from orthopedic surgery

The authors tested whether self-efficacy for orthopedic rehabilitation task s accounted for significant variance in rehabilitation outcome, over the va riance accounted for by dispositional optimism, health competence, and heal th value. Whether health value moderated expectancy-outcome relationships a lso was examined. One hundred five older clients at 2 orthopedic rehabilita tion facilities completed a battery of instruments; physical functioning al so was assessed. After controlling for physical functioning at admission an d for other variables, self-efficacy predicted significant variance in reha bilitation outcome. Health value did not moderate expectancy-outcome relati onships. Results suggest that psychologists can improve patients' recovery from serious orthopedic problems by augmenting their self-efficacy beliefs.