The Effectiveness of Life Meaning Workshops on Resilience, Negative Affect, and Perceived Social Support in Students

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of life meaning workshops on resilience, negative affect, and perceived social support among students. Methods and Materials: This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial. Thirty students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). The experimental group participated in eight sessions of life meaning workshops, while the control group only completed the assessments. The tools used included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Findings: The results showed that the experimental group had a significant increase in resilience (pre-test: M = 32.45, SD = 5.23; post-test: M = 40.67, SD = 4.89; p < 0.001), a significant decrease in negative affect (pre-test: M = 25.78, SD = 4.56; post-test: M = 18.34, SD = 3.87; p < 0.001), and a significant increase in perceived social support (pre-test: M = 52.12, SD = 7.56; post-test: M = 62.45, SD = 6.78; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results indicate that life meaning workshops can significantly increase resilience, decrease negative affect, and enhance perceived social support among students. These findings suggest that life meaning workshops can be an effective intervention for improving mental health and quality of life in students.