Presence Of Meaning In Life Research Articles

Parenthood in the shadow of COVID-19: The contribution of gender, personal resources and anxiety to first time parents' perceptions of the infant.

We sought to examine new parents' perceptions of their infant during the worldwide spread of COVID‐19, exploring the contribution of gender, personal resources (attachment orientation, presence of meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty) and COVID‐19‐related anxieties. A convenience sample of 606 Israeli first‐time parents (137 fathers and 469 mothers), whose child was 3–12 months old, was recruited through social media during April 2020. Findings indicate that being a woman, younger age, lower education, better physical health, older infant's age, lower attachment anxiety, higher presence of meaning in life and greater COVID‐19‐related anxiety over the infant's health contributed significantly to a greater perception of infant's warmth; being a father, higher education and economic status, poorer physical health, higher attachment anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty and less presence of meaning in life contributed significantly to a greater perception of infant's invasiveness. Gender moderated the associations between the personal resources and infant's perception, and both the presence of meaning in life and intolerance of uncertainty mediated the associations between COVID‐19‐related anxieties and parent's perception of the infant. The findings reveal the crucial contribution of gender, and both risk and resilience factors, to the parent's perception of the infant in the shadow of COVID‐19.

Meaning Reflectivity in Later Life: The Relationship Between Reflecting on Meaning in Life, Presence and Search for Meaning, and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults Over the Age of 75.

Background: Over the last decades, there is growing attention for the importance of meaning in life for older adults. However, there is virtually no insight into the mental processes that contribute to this experience. Some scholars recently called for an investigation of meaning reflectivity, or the process of reflecting on issues specifically related to meaning in life. In this study, we explored to what extent older adults talk and think about issues of meaning in life, and how this meaning reflectivity is related to the search for and presence of meaning in life, and to depressive symptoms.Method: In this cross-sectional observational study, 282 community-residing older adults (75 or older) in Belgium filled in paper questionnaires on meaning in life (presence and search), depressive symptoms, and meaning reflectivity (categorical item). ANOVA analyses were used to explore differences in meaning in life and depressive symptoms across the meaning reflectivity categories. Regression and negative binomial models investigated the association between meaning reflectivity and presence, search and depressive symptoms. Finally, an exploratory structural equation model examined whether presence of meaning statistically mediated the relationship between meaning reflectivity and depressive symptoms.Results: The majority of participants (42.4%) indicated that they had thought about meaning in life before, 23.2% indicated that they had talked about it before, 18% indicated that they hadn’t thought about it before but found it interesting, and 16.4% indicated that they were indifferent/unconcerned about meaning in life. The latter group reported lower levels of presence of meaning and search for meaning and higher levels of depressive symptoms. Belonging to this category was also associated with lower presence and search in regression analyses, but not with depressive symptoms above the effect of presence of meaning. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that presence of meaning may be a mediator between meaning reflectivity and depressive symptoms.Conclusion: Meaning reflectivity is an important process to consider in the context of the experience of meaning in life for older adults. Those older adults who are indifferent about issues of meaning in life might be more vulnerable to experience a lack of meaning and depressive symptoms.

MEANING IN LIFE IN ELDERLY

Aim: Starting from the research of the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, the meaning in life proved its importance, being studied in the context of different research traditions, existential psychology, positive psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology. This is a pilot study targeting a group of twenty elderly Romanians who live in a Residential Center in Bucharest. Methods: The study assumes that we’ll have statistically significant correlations between independent variables (presence of meaning, search for meaning) and dependent ones (depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction). Method: The research uses correlation analysis for the variables: meaning presence and meaning search from M. Steger's MLQ questionnaire, defined as independent variables in the study and dependent variables: depression, anxiety, stress (DASS-21 questionnaire), and life satisfaction (Satisfaction Scale with Life, SWLS). Results: The research results highlight good internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient α> 0.70) for the two subscales of the M.L.Q. questionnaire. The statistically significant inverse link between the level of stress and the presence of meaning in life is confirmed, the statistically significant inverse link between the total score of depression and the presence of meaning in life is confirmed; the variable life satisfaction is the only dependent variable for which statistically significant links are confirmed with both independent variables simultaneously (presence of meaning in life and search for meaning of life); Pearson correlation coefficients are statistically significant, Sig values, associated, lower than the 5% threshold, require the rejection of the null hypothesis.

Own soul's warning: Moral injury, suicidal ideation, and meaning in life.

Moral injury (an inner conflict [or cognitive dissonance] used to describe psychological, ethical, and/or spiritual conflict experienced when an individual's basic sense of humanity is violated) has been associated with suicidal ideation among military populations. However, mechanisms linking moral injury to suicidal ideation, particularly variables that may protect against suicidal ideation, have received limited attention. This study examined whether two domains of meaning in life (presence of meaning in life and searching for meaning in life) mediated the links between self- and other-directed moral injury and suicidal ideation. Participants were a community sample of 269 predominantly recent-era former service members who completed an online, anonymous voluntary survey. When examined in separate models, self-directed moral injury and other-directed moral injury were found to associate with higher suicidal ideation via a lower presence of meaning in life (no significant associations with searching for meaning in life). When examined in an exploratory combined model (i.e., both self-directed and other-directed moral injury entered in the same model), only the association between self-directed moral injury and suicidal ideation via the presence of meaning in life remained statistically significant. Our findings suggest that the presence of meaning in life may serve as a protective factor for veterans experiencing moral injury (particularly self-directed moral injury) that is associated with suicidal ideation. It is possible that guiding veterans with moral injury symptoms to develop more meaning or purpose in their lives may reduce suicidal ideation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The relationship of fear of happiness levels of Syrian refugees with meaning of life and health perception.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship of fear of happiness levels of Syrian refugees with the meaning of life and health perception. This descriptive study was conducted with 310 Syrian refugees. It was found that Syrian refugees' mean scores were 27.59 ± 6.44 in the Fear of Happiness Scale, 17.08 ± 6.93 in Meaning-Life, 19.84 ± 9.26 in Search for Meaning-Life, 46.03 ± 10.18 in Perception of Health Scale. A negative correlation was found between Syrian refugees' fear of happiness levels and meaning in life and health perception. As the fear of happiness levels of Syrian refugees decreased, the presence of meaning in life, the search for meaning in life, and health perception levels increased.

Does Reflection on Everyday Events Enhance Meaning in Life and Well-Being among Emerging Adults? Self-Efficacy as Mediator between Meaning in Life and Well-Being.

In recent years, the issue of the meaning in life has aroused particularly great interest in researchers considering the question of whether and how, using simple interventions, outside the therapeutic office, the sense of meaning in life and well-being can be strengthened. The aim of this study was to explore whether interventions based on reflection on everyday, stressful situations can contribute to fostering the sense of meaning in life and psychological well-being among emerging adults. Additionally, we aimed to explore relationships between the above-mentioned constructs and self-efficacy. The research focuses on emerging adults, who, as statistics show, are the most vulnerable among all adults to various mental problems. A pretest–posttest control group design was used. The study involved 80 emerging adults (56 women and 24 men) who were randomly assigned to the experimental group, which completed specially prepared diaries for a week, or the control group. Participants completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being twice. In the experimental group, significant differences were noted between pretest and posttest in psychological well-being, especially in the area of relationships with others (Mpretest = 59.3; Mposttest = 65.07; t(39) = −11.40; p = 0.001) and purpose in life (Mpretest = 54.85; Mposttest = 58.21; t(39) = −3.15; p = 0.003), as well as self-efficacy (Mpretest = 28.06; Mposttest = 29.60; t(39) = −2.82; p = 0.007). There were no differences in the level of meaning in life. The analysis carried out showed that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between presence of meaning in life and psychological well-being (the Aroian test: z = 4.48; SE = 0.11; p = 0.0007).

Presence of Meaning in Life in Older Men and Women: The Role of Dimensions of Frailty and Social Support.

Presence of meaning in life is an important component of eudemonic wellbeing while aging. While subjective health and interpersonal relationships are among important sources of meaning for older adults, less research has explored the gender differences in the potential contribution of these sources to the presence of meaning in late life. The current study aims to examine the associations of frailty dimensions (daily activities, health problems, and psychosocial functioning) and social support with the presence of meaning in late life, and whether these associations differ for older men and women. The study employs the data from the 65+ and Safe Study – a cross-sectional survey of residents of senior apartments. The data were collected in 2019 in a mid-sized Swedish municipality (N=618; age range from 64 to 106years, 60.5% female). Results showed significant associations of health problems, psychosocial functioning, and social support with the presence of meaning in life. Further, the results demonstrated no statistically significant gender differences in the associations between frailty dimensions, social support, and presence of meaning. However, since the interaction between health problems and gender approached statistical significance, this association was further explored indicating a more detrimental role of health problems in relation to the presence of meaning in life among older men than among older women. Overall, the study highlights the importance of physical and psychosocial health and social support for the presence of meaning in life among older adults and warrants further research on possible gender differences in the relation between health problems and meaning in late life.

Relationships between Cultural Adaptation and Immigrants’ Well-Being

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive relationship of socio-demographic variables, cultural adaptation and hope on general well-being (GWB), subjective (SWB), social (SoWB) and psychological (PWB) and in the meaning of life. The participants consisted of 108 immigrants. The instruments used were: bio sociodemographic questionnaire, Mental Health Continuum - Short Form, Dispositional Hope Scale, Acculturation Measures and Meaning of Life Questionnaire. In general, only sociocultural adaptation showed a positive predictive relationship with all types of well-being studied, nonetheless this measure presented a negative predictive relationship regarding the presence of meaning in life. Psychological adaptation was predictively and positively related only to SWB. The perception of cultural distance negatively affected SoWB. The presence of meaning was also negatively predicted by the type of immigration and age. The search for meaning was negatively predicted only by income. The results are important for a better understanding of factors that influence the experience of immigrants in Brazil.

"Should WE Stand Together?": A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of family-based interventions for adults with chronic physical diseases.

Family support has been identified as an important factor for the psychological adjustment of patients with chronic physical conditions. This study aimed to systematically review and conduct a meta-analysis of studies comparing the effectiveness of family-based versus patient-oriented interventions for chronic physical conditions. The search was performed between April 12 and April 29, 2021, on Web of Science (all databases included), Scopus, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL. Thirteen RCTs were included. The results favored family-based interventions for various patient outcomes related to pain, distress, self-efficacy, social and emotional function, coping, the welfare of the domestic environment, capacity to mobilize social support, and sexual relationships with medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d range: 0.45-0.90). This type of intervention also decreased family members' anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and distress, improving search and presence of meaning in life, social support, the support provided to the patient, and sexual relationships with medium to very large effect sizes (Cohen's d range: 0.58-2.76). The meta-analytical findings suggested that the patients' (k=12, d=0.34; 95% CI=0.13-0.55, I2 =74%, p<0.01) and family members' (k=4, d=0.68; 95% CI=0.08-1.27, I2 =88%, p<0.01) psychosocial outcomes significantly improved with family-based interventions compared with patient-oriented interventions. The meta-analysis of patients' self-efficacy showed a medium-size effect (d=0.64; k=3; I2 =19%). The results suggest a trend toward the beneficial effects of family-based interventions, but more research is needed with higher quality RCTs to confirm this hypothesis.

Contrasting Effects of Finding Meaning and Searching for Meaning, and Political Orientation and Religiosity, on Feelings and Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Perceiving life as meaningful can buffer against negative experiences, whereas searching for meaning in life is often associated with negative outcomes. We examined how these individual differences, along with religiosity and political orientation, are associated with feelings and health-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 7,220; U.S. nationally representative sample). Conservatism and religiosity predicted less negative effect; conservatives (but not the highly religious) were less likely to engage in preventive actions such as wearing face masks and social distancing. Controlling for political orientation, religiosity, and demographics, the presence of meaning in life predicted less negative affect and greater healthy preventive actions, whereas searching for meaning predicted greater negative affect and more preventive and risky health behaviors. Thus, the perception that life is meaningful not only predicts an individual's emotional well-being but is also associated with beneficial actions that can help protect others from the spread of the coronavirus.

Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity on well-being through meaning in life and its gender difference among adolescents in Hong Kong: A mediation study

The present study examines and explores the indirect effects of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity on well-being, namely self-esteem and life satisfaction, through presence of and search for meaning in life, and its gender difference among adolescents. 301 girls and 395 boys from Hong Kong participated in this cross-sectional survey study. Independent t-test, correlation and four mediation model analyses with a bootstrap of 5000 samples were conducted. Girls score higher in extrinsic religiosity (personal) and search for meaning in life; lower in self-esteem compared with boys. Presence of meaning in life was found to positively mediate the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic personal religiosity on self-esteem and life satisfaction for boys but is not significant for girls. However, intrinsic religiosity promotes higher search for meaning in life, which in turn lowers self-esteem only for girls. The indirect effect of extrinsic social religiosity on well-being was not significant for both genders. Finding suggests that boys benefit more from religiosity on well-being.

Existential Experiences and Machiavellianism of Recidivists – Exploring Relationships Important for Penitentiary Studies

This article is an attempt to deepen the knowledge about the relationships between Machiavellianism and the search for and experience of a sense of the meaning in life in penitentiary recidivists. The study emphasises the role of this knowledge in penitentiary interactions. The significance of Machiavellianism for penitentiary studies is conditioned by the fact that this construct captures the essence of the attitudes and beliefs illustrating the relation of individuals to the social world. Moreover, the significance of the problem of searching for and experiencing the meaning in life in relation to the area of penitentiary social rehabilitation is conditioned by the issue of linking these constructs with the aspect of positive change and achieving general adaptation. The study indicates a number of theoretical and empirical premises justifying the occurrence of direct relationships between the area of Machiavellianism and the sphere of existential experiences. The research objective was formulated based these assumptions and concerned the determination of the relationship between Machiavellianism and the meaning of life in repeatedly incarcerated convicts. A group of 59 penitentiary recidivists (aged 27 to 68; M = 39.75, SD = 8.84) was tested using the Machiavellian scale (Mach IV) and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), which enabled the measurement of the search for and presence of meaning in life. The relationships between the variables were determined by correlation. The analyses showed the existence of numerous significant relationships between the Machiavellian syndrome and the search for and presence of meaning in life. A greater overall level of Machiavellianism was associated with a lower intensity of the search for and the presence of meaning in life. The obtained results have implications for penitentiary practice with regards to influencing convicted recidivists. In light of the acquired results, it is justified to include educational and psycho-corrective elements that undermine Machiavellian beliefs, which is a factor supporting the orientation towards the search for meaning in life and has potential to create meaning.

Gender Differences between Cyberbullying Victimization and Meaning in Life: Roles of Fatalism and Self-Concept Clarity.

Despite widely linking cyberbullying victimization (CV) to some poorer mental health outcomes, CV also negatively impacts the internal strengths that make life worth living, such as meaning in life, which has received less attention. This study thus aimed to examine the relationship between CV and presence of meaning in life as well as the mediating roles of fatalism and self-concept clarity in this relationship. Gender differences in the mediation model were also examined. A sample of 766 Chinese junior school students (M = 13.11 years, SD = 1.19 years) completed questionnaires regarding CV, presence of meaning, self-concept clarity, and fatalism. The results revealed that CV was significantly and positively correlated with presence of meaning. Structural equation modeling indicated that self-concept clarity and fatalism completely mediated the link between CV and presence of meaning in parallel and sequential manners. The multigroup analysis further showed that CV was positively related to fatalism only among girls and had a stronger negative association with self-concept clarity for girls compared with boys. Thus, the indirect link between CV and presence of meaning was stronger for girls (versus boys). Findings suggested that CV was associated with poor self-concept clarity, stronger fatalism, and low levels of presence of meaning in life among adolescents, especially for girls. Increasing self-concept clarity and decreasing fatalistic beliefs are thus necessary to help cyberbullying victims to develop meaning in life.

The Congregational Character Questionnaire: An Initial Empirical Examination of the Significance of Collective Church Character Traits

Researchers in several academic disciplines have begun to take an interest in group character traits, including the character traits of religious congregations. This article reports the first empirical studies of congregational virtues. The Congregational Character Questionnaire was developed for measuring 12 different virtues of Christian churches: clinging to apostolic teaching, honoring teachers, prayerfulness, hopefulness, discipleship, emotional supportiveness, material supportiveness, spiritual equality, unity, submission, peace with the world, and spreading the faith. The instrument was then used with an online sample ( N = 530) to study how congregants’ perceptions of their congregation’s virtuousness related to congregants’ evaluations of their congregation, participation in their congregation, as well as congregants’ satisfaction with life, presence of meaning in life, and religious well-being. Results indicated that congregants’ overall perceptions of congregational virtuousness were significantly positively related to all of these dependent variables. These results help to reveal the important role that congregational character may play in the experience of congregants. Directions for future research in this area are outlined.

Authenticity, presence of meaning, and struggle with ultimate meaning: Nuanced between-and within-person associations

Authenticity predicts greater presence of meaning in life, in general (between-persons) and in the moment (within-persons). However, little is known about whether authenticity predicts negative aspects of life meaning, such as struggles with ultimate meaning. Across three studies (total N = 719), two of which used daily diaries (daily reports = 1,980), correlations, confirmatory factor analyses, and multilevel path models together showed that higher levels of authenticity related positively to presence of meaning and negatively to struggle with ultimate meaning at the between- and within-person levels. These findings are consistent with humanistic, existential, and positive psychology theories of authenticity and meaning and raise the possibility that increasing authenticity states over time may predict sustained improvement in multiple aspects of meaning.

The Role of the Meaning in life as a Mediating Factor between Religiosity and Life Satisfaction among University Students in the State of Kuwait

This study aimed to identify the relationship between religiosity and life in satisfaction and the meaning in life, the differences between male and female on these variables, and the role of the meaning in life as a mediating factor in the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction. The study sample consisted of 243 Undergraduate male and female students in the State of Kuwait. To gather the data, questionnaire on the meaning in life, the measure of Kuwait University for Religionو and the measure of life satisfaction was used. The results showed that the matrix of correlation coefficients between the degrees of religiosity, life satisfaction, the presence of meaning, and the search for meaning is positive and statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the variables according to gender. It was found that the presence of meaning in life mediates statistically and completely the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction.

Culture Related Factors May Shape Coping During Pandemics.

This study aimed to examine how anxiety related to different styles of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these relationships were moderated by the cultural orientations of individualism/collectivism and a person’s sense of meaning in life. A sample of 849 participants from Georgia completed an online survey during the final stage of lockdown. To measure the main variables, we used the State Anxiety Inventory, the Horizontal and Vertical Individualism and Collectivism Scale, the Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the COVID-19 Worry Scale, and the Ways of Coping Scale tailored to COVID-19 pandemic. The latter measured rational coping via the subscales of information accessing/processing and action-planning coping, and affective coping – via the subscales of passive-submissive and avoidant coping. Results suggested that anxiety positively predicted both affective coping styles and negatively predicted the action-planning coping style, while COVID-19 worry predicted all coping styles; presence of meaning in life positively predicted both rational coping styles and negatively predicted the avoidant coping style, while search for meaning positively predicted all coping styles; individualism negatively predicted the passive-submissive style and positively predicted the action-planning style, whereas collectivism predicted all coping styles; furthermore, individualism and collectivism moderated the link between anxiety and the passive-submissive coping style, presence of meaning in life moderated the link between anxiety and avoidant coping style, while search for meaning in life moderated the link between anxiety and the action-planning coping style. Overall, the findings enrich the cultural transactional theory of stress and coping, and generate insights for the culture-sensitive approach to the meaning in life. The results were conceptualized vis-a-vis Georgia’s intermediate position between clear-cut individualism and clear-cut collectivism.

Life After Facing Cancer: Posttraumatic Growth, Meaning in Life and Life Satisfaction.

Although it is known that facing cancer may be accompanied by a range of chronic and acute stress reactions, it can also contribute to positive psychological changes and influence one's life perception. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG), meaning in life and life satisfaction to determine whether the presence of meaning or the search for meaning mediated the relationship between PTG and life satisfaction. The study was conducted with 149 cancer survivors who were at least one-month post-completion of all medical cancer therapy. The results indicate positive associations between PTG, the presence of meaning in life, the search for meaning and life satisfaction. Moreover, the relationship between PTG and life satisfaction could be explained by the mediating effect of the presence of meaning in life. Thus, it is important for clinicians to systematically facilitate PTG, meaning in life and life satisfaction as protective factors to one's daily functioning.

Personal growth in the transition to parenthood following recent parental loss.

Although the factors associated with personal growth (PG) in the transition to parenthood have been studied in recent years, the impact of a previous stressful event has been rarely considered. This study explores the possibility that parents who lost their own parent in the years leading up to the birth of their first child will report enhanced PG. It examines the unique and combined contribution to PG in the transition to parenthood of recent parental loss, as well as the bond with the parents, the internal resource of meaning in life, and basic demographic variables. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 224 Israeli parents up to 1 year following the birth of their first child. Of these, 112 had lost one of their parents during the past 7 years and 112 had not. Hierarchical regression revealed that the recent loss of a parent contributed significantly to greater PG. In addition, higher PG was associated with younger age, higher presence of meaning in life, search for meaning, and perceived maternal care, and lower paternal overprotection. The study extends knowledge of PG among new parents, indicating that it may be related to the parent's personal circumstances, and specifically to a previous stressful event in their lives, and their relationships with their own parents. On the practical level, understanding the consequences of parental loss for PG in the transition to parenthood can help professionals develop specially designed interventions for new parents who have recently lost a parent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlates of Psychological Distress Among Pakistani Adults During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Parallel and Serial Mediation Analyses.

Objective: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly affected individual's lives around the world and resulted in various negative psychological consequences. During the pandemic, reflection on and attention to COVID-19 may help in dealing with its symptomology but frequent and persistent thoughts about the situation can be unhealthy. The present study examined the direct and indirect associations between obsession concerning COVID-19, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and meaning in life.Design: This mediation study presents a primary analysis of normative data collected after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan. Parametric bootstrapping was used to test the mediation models of subjective well-being, the extent of the effect, and meaning in life as parallel and serial mediators concerning the associations between COVID-19 obsession and psychological distress measures.Setting: A sample of 1,002 adults (45% men and 55% women) were recruited utilizing an online survey between April to May 2020. They were aged between 19 and 45 years (M = 24.30, SD = 7.29) and normalized on population characteristics.Results: Two out of three mediators in parallel mediation fully mediated the relationship between obsession and psychological distress (total effect = 0.443, SE = 0.050, p < 0.0001) illustrating that high-level obsessions were associated with low levels of satisfaction with life and presence of meaning in life and search for meaning in life. Psychological distress is likely to decrease in the presence of a high level of satisfaction with life and meaning. Moreover, satisfaction with life and search for meaning in life significantly mediated the association between COVID-19 obsession (z=-3.507, p < 0.0001 and z = −2.632, p < 0.001 respectively).Conclusion: The present study showed that life satisfaction and search for meaning in life may play a significant role in decreasing psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.