Hope isn't a passive state: it requires energy and a commitment to yourself. It's a drive to set and reach a goal, which translates into its more concrete counterpart: coping. Feeling that you can handle a stressful or difficult situation (the hope part) helps develop a positive outlook - and lets you gain some control over the outcome. Does the ability to cope actually have a measurable impact on health? Yes. Many studies have found that coping skills have a positive effect on health - physically, mentally and emotionally.
Caregivers are also well aware that hope works hand-in-hand with therapy - it's often the "hidden ingredient in any prescription," as Norman Cousins (the famous proponent of laughter as medicine) says.
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