Predicting Post-Trauma Quality of Life: Meaning-Making Trumps Medical Reality

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ed De St. Aubin ◽  
Abbey Valvano ◽  
Terri Deroon-Cassini ◽  
Jim Hastings ◽  
Patricia Horn
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Life Meaning

scholarly journals Narrative meaning making and integration: Toward a better understanding of the way falling ill influences quality of life

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 738-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Hartog ◽  
Michael Scherer-Rath ◽  
Renske Kruizinga ◽  
Justine Netjes ◽  
José Henriques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
The Self ◽  
Life Goals ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Personal Goals ◽  
Life Event ◽  
Seriously Ill ◽  
The Way

Falling seriously ill is often experienced as a life event that causes conflict with people’s personal goals and expectations in life and evokes existential questions. This article presents a new humanities approach to the way people make meaning of such events and how this influences their quality of life. Incorporating theories on contingency, narrative identity, and quality of life, we developed a theoretical model entailing the concepts life event, worldview, ultimate life goals, experience of contingency, narrative meaning making, narrative integration, and quality of life. We formulate testable hypotheses and describe the self-report questionnaire that was developed based on the model.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Search for Meaning: The Role of Religion/Spirituality and Social Support-An Indian Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Shweta Tandon ◽  
Dr. Seema Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Stressful Situation ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Role Of Religion

Background: The diagnosis of cancer can shake the equanimity of the strongest individual and the onset of symptoms and eventual diagnosis are occasions for questions such as “Why me?”, “Why now?”, and “How did I get this illness?” Aims: The purpose of the present research on a sample of 103 recently diagnosed cancer patients was to investigate the extent of preoccupation with search for meaning, to document individual differences when one is confronted with a cancer diagnosis and to record changes if any in preoccupation during an interval of one month. Secondly to assess the role of religion/spirituality as well as social support in individual encounters with cancer by examining the effects of these two variables among individuals facing a common stressful situation. Lastly to examine relationship of search for meaning with psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression and quality of life). Results: The results indicated that individual differences did exist in the degree of preoccupation with “why me”, social support scores significantly differentiated between subgroups with different levels of preoccupation with “why me?” and that patients with highest engagement with “why me” had poorer quality of life and elevated distress levels. Conclusion: Findings highlighted the important role of meaning making issues and the need to address them in intervention. Secondly dialoguing with treating physicians regarding the important role of psychological variables and their relation to distress levels and quality of life.

scholarly journals Dynamics of quality of life main parameters in patients with spine tumors underwent surgical treatment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-54
Author(s):  
O. Yu. Shchelkova ◽  
A. K. Valiev ◽  
O. A. Obukhova ◽  
E. B. Usmanova ◽  
D. I. Sofronov
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Life Meaning ◽  
Medical Outcomes ◽  
Group Outcomes ◽  
The Individual

In this study we analyzed the quality of life in 62 patients (35.5 % of men and 64.5 % of women; mean age 55 years) who had tumor lesions in different parts of the spine and were treated in the Department of Vertebral Surgery, N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Ministry of Health of Russia. We assessed the association between the quality of life and psychological characteristics of patients – coping strategies and personal resources. We used a general questionnaire for assessing patients’ quality of life (The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Items Health Survey) and special questionnaires for cancer patients (Quality of Life Questionnaire – Core 30, QLQ-C30), patients with tumor lesions to the spine (Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire, SOSG OQ), and psychodiagnostic methods, such as Ways of Coping, Big Five, and Life-meaning Orientations. We have identified an association between the quality of life and all parameters of psychodiagnostic questionnaires, better quality of life correlated with more pronounced psychological characteristics reflecting the maturity of the individual (internality, activity, presence of meaningful goals, ability to seek social support, etc.). Lower personal maturity and poorer constructive coping strategies were associated with worse somatic symptoms and their impact on the quality of life.

Meaning-making and quality of life in heart failure interventions: a systematic review

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 557-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane J. Sacco ◽  
Tricia M. Leahey ◽  
Crystal L. Park
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meaning Making

Nursing research

2015 ◽  
pp. 1028-1038
Author(s):  
Betty R. Ferrell ◽  
Marcia Grant ◽  
Virginia Sun
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
Life Meaning ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
End Of Life Issues ◽  
Conducting Research

The goal of nursing research is to improve care for patients and caregivers. Palliative nursing research includes many sensitive topics such as suffering, quality of life, and life meaning. Nurse researchers face many obstacles in conducting research, such as obtaining informed consent, dealing with high subject attrition, and openly discussing end-of-life issues with patients and families. Palliative nursing research also addresses the experiences of nurses and the need for self-care. Palliative nursing research should use an interdisciplinary model that includes all supportive care disciplines.

scholarly journals Meaning-in-Life: A Vital Salutogenic Resource for Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 85-101
Author(s):  
Gørill Haugan ◽  
Jessie Dezutter
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Health Science Research ◽  
The Individual

AbstractBased on evidence and theory, we state that facilitating and supporting people’s meaning-making processes are health promoting. Hence, meaning-in-life is a salutogenic concept.Authors from various disciplines such as nursing, medicine, psychology, philosophy, religion, and arts argue that the human search for meaning is a primary force in life and one of the most fundamental challenges an individual faces. Research demonstrates that meaning is of great importance for mental as well as physical well-being and crucial for health and quality of life. Studies have shown significant correlations between meaning-in-life and physical health measured by lower mortality for all causes of death; meaning is correlated with less cardiovascular disease, less hypertension, better immune function, less depression, and better coping and recovery from illness. Studies have shown that cancer patients who experience a high degree of meaning have a greater ability to tolerate bodily ailments than those who do not find meaning-in-life. Those who, despite pain and fatigue, experience meaning report better quality-of-life than those with low meaning. Hence, if the individual finds meaning despite illness, ailments, and imminent death, well-being, health, and quality-of-life will increase in the current situation. However, when affected by illness and reduced functionality, finding meaning-in-life might prove more difficult. A will to search for meaning is required, as well as health professionals who help patients and their families not only to cope with illness and suffering but also to find meaning amid these experiences. Accordingly, meaning-in-life is considered a vital salutogenic resource and concept.The psychiatrist Viktor Emil Frankl’s theory of “Will to Meaning” forms the basis for modern health science research on meaning; Frankl’s premise was that man has enough to live by, but too little to live for. According to Frankl, logotherapy ventures into the spiritual dimension of human life. The Greek word “logos” means not only meaning but also spirit. However, Frankl highlighted that in a logotherapeutic context, spirituality is not primarily about religiosity—although religiosity can be a part of it—but refers to a specific human dimension that makes us human. Frankl based his theory on three concepts: meaning, freedom to choose and suffering, stating that the latter has no point. People should not look for an inherent meaning in the negative events happening to them, or in their suffering, because the meaning is not there. The meaning is in the attitude people choose while suffering from illness, crises, etc.

scholarly journals Quality of Life for Older Cancer Patients: Relation of Psychospiritual Distress to Meaning-Making During Dignity Therapy

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912110117
Author(s):  
Susan Bluck ◽  
Emily L. Mroz ◽  
Diana J. Wilkie ◽  
Linda Emanuel ◽  
George Handzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Spiritual Distress ◽  
Dignity Therapy ◽  
Seriously Ill

Background: Nearly 500,000 older Americans die a cancer-related death annually. Best practices for seriously ill patients include palliative care that aids in promoting personal dignity. Dignity Therapy is an internationally recognized therapeutic intervention designed to enhance dignity for the seriously ill. Theoretically, Dignity Therapy provides opportunity for patients to make meaning by contextualizing their illness within their larger life story. The extent to which Dignity Therapy actually elicits meaning-making from patients, however, has not been tested. Aim: The current study examines (i) extent of patient meaning-making during Dignity Therapy, and (ii) whether baseline psychospiritual distress relates to subsequent meaning-making during Dignity Therapy. Design: Participants completed baseline self-report measures of psychospiritual distress (i.e., dignity-related distress, spiritual distress, quality of life), before participating in Dignity Therapy. Narrative analysis identified the extent of meaning-making during Dignity Therapy sessions. Participants: Twenty-five outpatients ( M age = 63, SD = 5.72) with late-stage cancer and moderate cancer-related symptoms were recruited. Results: Narrative analysis revealed all patients made meaning during Dignity Therapy but there was wide variation (i.e., 1—12 occurrences). Patients who made greater meaning were those who, at baseline, reported significantly higher psychospiritual distress, including greater dignity-related distress ( r = .46), greater spiritual distress ( r = .44), and lower quality of life ( r = -.56). Conclusion: Meaning-making was found to be a central component of Dignity Therapy. Particularly, patients experiencing greater distress in facing their illness use the Dignity Therapy session to express how they have made meaning in their lives.

scholarly journals Contesting spiritual dimensions of health: salutogenic approaches to post-secular quests for quality of life

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 218-236
Author(s):  
Maria Leppäkari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Religion And Health ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Cultural Ecological ◽  
Health And Well Being

This article dwells on three key concepts: spirituality (religion, meaning making), health (being well, wellness) and the contemporary post-secular individ­ual search for significance. Within a classic salutogenic and health promo­tional frame of reference, dimensions of health are usually referred to in terms of the physical, mental, social and spiritual. Following development of the classic­al approaches, cultural, ecological and existential subcategories have been added to the concepts in order to clarify the contents. Scholars in the field of health promotion argue that these dimensions of health and well-being are, in a general way, closely interrelated. This article explores the ways in which spirituality and well-being interact. It is influenced by the author’s previous research in religious studies and current experiences of health promotion work. This article is divided into five sections: salutogenesis and health promotion; quality of life and spirituality; previous research on religion and health; indifference and fundamentalism, and some final remarks.

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