Temporal associations between meaning in life, ultimate meaning struggles, and mental health outcomes in a spiritually integrated inpatient program

BACKGROUND

Meaning in life is a benchmark indicator of flourishing that can likely mitigate the severity of depression symptoms among persons seeking mental healthcare. However, patients contending with serious mental health difficulties often experience a painful void or absence of ultimate meaning in their lives that might hinder recovery. This two-wave longitudinal study examined temporal associations between perceived presence of meaning in life, struggles with ultimate meaning, flourishing, and depression symptoms among adults in a spiritually integrated inpatient treatment program.

METHODS

Of the 242 patients assessed at intake, 90% (N = 218; 40% Cisgender male; 57% Cisgender female; 3.0% nonbinary) completed validated measures of these meaning-related factors and mental health outcomes at discharge.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional analyses revealed perceptions of meaning in life and ultimate meaning struggles were inversely linked with one another along with being associated with indices of positive and negative mental health in varying ways at the start and end of treatment. Drawing upon a two-wave cross-lagged panel design, longitudinal structural equation modeling analyses supported a Primary Meaning Model whereby having a subjective sense of meaning in life at intake was prospectively linked with lower levels of ultimate meaning struggles and greater flourishing at discharge. However, baseline levels of mental health outcomes were not predictive of the meaning-related factors in this sample.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the utility of assessing patients' perceived meaning in life and ultimate meaning struggles in spiritually integrated programs and for clinicians to be prepared to possibly address these meaning-related concerns in the treatment process.

Relationship between mindfulness, meaning in life and post-traumatic growth among Nigerian cancer patients

Understanding the psychosocial factors that predict recovery and promote growth from trauma is critical to effective management of oncology patients. Although previous studies have shown that mindfulness and meaning in life could be predictors of post-traumatic growth (PTG), no study to date has explored the combined role of mindfulness and meaning in life in the development of PTG among cancer patients. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 957 cancer patients (46.8% male, 53.2% female) who completed relevant self-report measures. Results showed that the presence of meaning in life mediated the relationship between mindfulness and PTG. However, the mediation effect of search for meaning in life was not significant. These findings indicate that the presence of meaning in life is an essential mechanism of mindfulness in facilitating PTG. Therefore, psychosocial interventions geared towards promoting PTG should consider mindfulness as a potential effective component in improving cancer patients' ability to find meaning in life and possibly promote recovery.

Post-9/11 military veterans' adjustment to civilian life over time following separation from service

OBJECTIVES

US military veterans face many challenges in transitioning to civilian life; little information is available regarding veterans' reintegration experiences over time. The current study characterized veterans' postdeployment stressful life events and concurrent psychosocial wellbeing over one year and determined how stressors and wellbeing differ by demographic factors.

METHODS

Recent Post-911 veterans (n = 402) were assessed approximately every three months for 1 year. Participants were 60% men, primarily White (78%), and 12% Latinx; the average age was 36 years.

RESULTS

The frequency of stressful events decreased over time but was higher for men and minority-race veterans (independent of time since separation). Veterans reported high mean levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms, which improved slightly over time. Minority-race and Latinx veterans had higher symptom levels and slower rates of symptom reduction.

CONCLUSION

Veterans remain distressed in their overall transition to civilian life. Interventions to promote resilience and help veterans manage readjustment to civilian life appear urgently needed.

Chinese college students' ability to recognize facial expressions based on their meaning-in-life profiles: An eye-tracking study

OBJECTIVE

People can be categorized into one of four meaning-in-life profiles: High Presence High Search (HPHS), High Presence Low Search (HPLS), Low Presence High Search (LPHS), and Low Presence Low Search (LPLS).The main goal of this study is to provide a theoretical explanation for why Chinese people with different meaning-in-life profiles have different mental health levels than Western people, based on their emotional-cognitive-processing ability.

METHOD

We adopted eye-movement analysis and recognition-judgment experimental paradigm concerning absolute-recognition judgment and relative-recognition judgment in our study. Moreover, we applied a multifactor and multilevel mixed-experimental design. We selected 118 participants for the experiments from the 788 Chinese college students who responded.

RESULTS

Our results showed that HPHS individuals preferred positive-emotion pictures, LPLS individuals preferred negative-emotion pictures, HPLS individuals preferred positive- and neutral-emotion pictures, and LPHS individuals preferred neutral-emotion pictures. Moreover, HPHS individuals were better at accurately processing facial expression from pictures, while LPLS individuals lacked such ability. The fine-processing ability of HPLS and LPHS individuals was lower than that of HPHS yet higher than that of LPLS individuals. Moreover, the features of HPLS individuals were closer to HPHS, while those of LPHS individuals were closer to LPLS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the hypothesis that meaning-in-life profiles have different immediate processing abilities and preferences regarding facial expression recognition and different emotional-cognitive-processing ability.

Rest a while and run a mile: Relationship between distraction and negative emotions among college students in China

Previous experimental studies have regarded distraction, an emotional regulation strategy, as an attentional disengagement strategy and considered it to be maladaptive in the long term. This study intends to further examine the relationship between distraction and negative emotions by using a questionnaire and a multiple mediation model. A total of 723 college students completed the distraction, cognitive reappraisal and problem-solving subscales of the Measurement of Affect Regulation Styles, the Needs Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Meaningful Life Measure, and the Emotional Experience Questionnaire of Well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed, and mediation effects were tested. The results showed that (1) distraction was used significantly more frequently than problem-solving and cognitive reappraisal, with a large effect size (partial η² = 0.321 > 0.138), and (2) distraction had an effect on negative emotions through two multiple mediation paths, i.e., positive emotion—cognitive reappraisal—meaning in life, and positive emotion—problem-solving—needs satisfaction. Distraction reduces negative emotions by enhancing positive emotions and facilitating cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving, meaning in life and needs satisfaction. It is not a kind of avoidance but a temporary rest to strive for a better life.

The effectiveness of a health promotion intervention on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being among undergraduate nursing students: One-group experimental study

Nursing educators have a responsibility to value undergraduate nursing students' physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health promotion.The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention concerning meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being among undergraduate nursing students in a health promotion curriculum.The study was adopted a pretest, posttest, and post post-test design in 1-group experimental study with a purposive sample of 112 undergraduate nursing students who attended in a health promotion curriculum and voluntarily completed a reliable 3-part questionnaire (content validity index = 0.95; Cronbach's αs = meaning of life, 0.97; positive beliefs, 0.94; and well-being 0.96).Undergraduate nursing students showed significant (all P < .001) improvements on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being immediately after the intervention, which were sustained over time.Nursing educators should incorporate these variables into the health promotion curriculum to enhance undergraduate nursing students' physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health promotion.

Simulated directed-learning in life-education intervention on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being among nursing students: A Quasi-experimental study

Nursing educators have the responsibility to equip nursing students with knowledge about the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in order to enhance their physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention on the meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in regard to immediate and delayed effects in improving physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion.The method of this study was constituted a quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups for pre-test, post-test, and post-post-test. Purposive sampling and non-random distribution were used in the study. Assigned to the experimental group, 54 participants were third-year nursing students enrolled in a health education course with simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention. Assigned to the control group, 56 participants were third-year nursing students enrolled in a caring care course without simulated directed-learning in a life-education intervention. A 56-item questionnaire was utilized, and the content validity index (CVI) was 0.95, as determined by seven expert scholars. The reliability of the questionnaire (n = 45) on Cronbach's α were: meaning of life 0.96, positive beliefs 0.95, and well-being 0.96. The statistical package SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze all of the data in the study. Frequencies, percentages, pre-test mean and SD, post-test mean and SD, post-post-test mean and SD, chi-squared test, t test, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) were employed for data analysis.Nursing students in the experimental group compared with the control group exhibited significant differences in meaning of life on the pre-post-test (β = 16.40, P < .001) and pre-post post-test (β = 25.94, P < .001), positive beliefs on the pre-post-test (β = 5.64, P < .01) and pre-post post-test (β = 9.21, P < .001), and well-being on the pre-post-test (β = 14.33, P < .001) and pre-post post-test (β = 23.68, P < .001).Nursing students in the experimental group showed a significant improvement in the simulated directed-learning with a life-education intervention on meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being in the immediate and delayed effects that enhanced their physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health education and promotion.