Changes and Predictors of the Sense of Meaning in Life in Polish University Students Participating in Psychological Workshops Communication\u2013Forgiveness\u2013Love

Anna Kuk,Monika Guszkowska

doi:10.1007/s10943-018-0631-1

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine changes in the sense of meaning in life of university students who participated in psychological workshops “Communication–Forgiveness–Love”. The study evaluated 33 university students from first-cycle and second-cycle studies in physical education in the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw. The Reker’s Life Attitude Profile-Revised Questionnaire, Social Competencies Questionnaire (KKS) by Matczak, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (INTE) by Schutte et al. and the Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire GHQ-28 were used. The study found that psychological workshops can be effective in instilling the sense of meaning in life in university students, especially those from first-cycle studies. The workshops can produce more benefits to students with worse mental status and with lower social competencies.

Highlights

For at least the last three decades, spirituality has been found to be an important or even a leading aspect of human health and wellness (Dennis and Dennis 2003; Dorsey 2000; Eberst 1984; Muller and Dennis 2007)
The study found a significant increase in the sense of meaning in life in four basic dimensions and increase in values of complex indices of personal meaning and existential transcendence in participants of psychological workshops devoted to the problems of communication, forgiveness and love
These results suggest a positive answer to the basic research question whether the sense of meaning in life of a person can be formed by providing him or her with the experiences during interventions in the form of psychological workshops

Summary

Introduction

For at least the last three decades, spirituality has been found to be an important or even a leading aspect of human health and wellness (Dennis and Dennis 2003; Dorsey 2000; Eberst 1984; Muller and Dennis 2007). The sense of meaning in life relates to the process of discovering of the importance of living (Vela et al 2015). The sense of meaning in life allows for predicting the intensity of the symptoms of depression and anxiety (Vehling et al 2011), being related with mental wellness. It is positively correlated with the sense of happiness (Vela et al 2016). Its effect on the perceived wellness is mediated by personal psychological resources, such as optimism or a sense of coherence (Adams et al 2000)

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Conclusion