The International Forum for Logotherapy, 1997, 20, 58-61.

Akerberg, H. (1994). Viktor E. Frankl and logotherapy in Sweden: A historical note. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(1), 81-83.

--This paper offers a brief description of the pioneering status of logotherapy in Sweden, starting in the mid-1980's.

Bechtel, G. [Georgia Southern U., Statesboro, Georgia 30458 USA]. (1994). Purpose in life among gay men with HIV disease. Nursing Connections, 7(4), 5-11.

--A convenience sampling of gay males (36 with AIDS; 31 without) showed lower PIL scores for those with AIDS (M = 85.4) than those without (M = 104.9). Other statistical analyses are also presented in this paper.

Berti, G. [San Lorenzo 1325, 5800 Rio Cuarto, Rupublica Argentina], & Schneider-Berti, A. (1994). When your child dies: Logotherapy and self-help groups. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(1), 7-19.

--RENACER is an Argentinian self-help group movement initiated by the authors for bereaved parents. This paper discusses its intuitive founding and how the group processes/procedures fit with the logotherapy perspective.

Brown, J. [College of Social Work, San Jose State U., San Jose, California 95192 USA], & Romanchuk, B. (1994). Existential social work practice with the aged: Theory and practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 23, 49-65.

--This paper encourages gerontological social workers to consider an existential practice framework emphasizing logotherapy principles. Gerontology, existentialism, and logotherapy are discussed briefly; and four case illustrations are presented.

Bulka, R. [Ottawa, Ontario, Canada]. (1994). Logotherapy confronts Kevorkianism. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(2), 18-28.

--This essay explores Frankl's positions on what death is, the meaning of death, human finiteness, the logical implications of "afterlife" vs. "super-meaning", and Frankl's position against suicide and euthanasia.

Coward, D. [U. of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, 1700 Red River, Austin, Texas 78701 USA]. (1994). Meaning and purpose in the lives of persons with AIDS. Public Health Nursing, 11, 331-336.

--In this phenomenological analysis of 20 Persons with AIDS (10 male, 10 female), participants provided descriptions of post-diagnosis experiences that were associated with self-transcendence. The two sexes expressed different themes, but for both sexes the fundamental structure of self-transcendence was a dialectic with two sources of tension: (a) isolation vs. connectedness, and (b) acceptance of terminality vs. hope for cure.

Dukes, R. [Sociology Dept., U. of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933 USA], Lockwood, E., Oliver, H., Pezalila, C., & Wilker, C. (1994). A longitudinal study of a semester at sea voyage. Annals of Tourism Research, 21, 489-498.

--This paper provides some information, theory, and statistical data about a college Semester at Sea program and its participants. PIL test scores of 77 participants were statistically significantly, positively correlated with PIL test scores of the same persons 10 years earlier when they had participated in the program. International travel subsequent to the voyage also was significantly correlated with current PIL scores, but to a smaller extent.

DuRant, R. [Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 USA], et al. (1994). Factors associated with the use of violence among urban Black adolescents . American Journal of Public Health, 84, 612-617.

--Within a larger study of 225 Black housing-project adolescents, a 14-item PIL test was used, and purpose in life correlated negatively with reported engagement in violent behavior. Purpose in life correlated with several social and psychological scales. The authors conclude: "adolescents with a higher sense of purpose in life and less depression were better able to withstand the influence of exposure to violence in the home and in the community."

Dyck, M. [Dept. of Social Sciences, U. of Central Queensland, Rockhampton, Queensland 4702, Australia]. (1994). What does the proposed purposefulness superfactor really describe? Personality & Individual Differences, 16, 411-415.

--This paper presents two research studies that employ a large number of psychological tests--including the PIL, SONG, and Belfast tests. The authors conclude: "results of this study support a 5-factor model of personality description. . .the fifth factor might be described as `purposefulness' as seen in alienation, anomie, hopelessness, and an external locus of control."

Frankl, V. (1994). Facing the transitoriness of human existence. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(2), 29-37.

--This edited text from a presentation before the American Society on Aging discusses how it is possible to say yes to life in spite of the fact of death.

Gerwood, J. [4821 New England Lane, Apt. 24, Sylvania, Ohio 43560 USA] (1994). Meaning and love in Viktor Frankl's writing: Reports from the holocaust. Psychological Reports, 75, 1075-1081.

--This paper describes the results of interviewing 6 Holocaust survivors about what helped them survive. The author concludes that love was important and so were other factors.

Guttman, D. [School of Social Work, U. of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel]. (1994). Meaningful aging: Establishing a club for survivors of the holocaust in Hungary. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(1), 67-73.

--This paper describes the reasoning behind, and logotherapeutic purpose of, establishment of a holocaust survivor center in Budapest.

Guttman, D. [School of Social Work, U. of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel]. (1994). Meaningful social work: Logotherapy for the helping professional. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(2), 9-17.

--This paper prints the Preface and Introduction of the author's recently published book by the same title.

Heidrich, S. [U. of Wisconsin, School of Nursing, 575 Cunningham Hall, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201 USA], Forsthoff, C., & Ward, S. (1994). Psychological adjustment in adults with cancer: The self as mediator. Health Psychology, 13 , 346-353.

--Conclusions from this study of 108 persons with cancer were that persons with worse perceived health status had greater discrepancies between actual and ideal self-conceptions and had poorer adjustment (including purpose in life). Discrepancy between actual and ideal self-conceptualizations was considered a significant mediator of the effects of perceived health status on purpose in life, positive relationships, and depression.

Kinneir, R. [Div. of Psychology in Education, Counseling Psychology Program, 401 Payne Hall, Arizona State U., Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA], Metha, A., Keim, J., Okey, J., Adler-Tabia, R., Berry, M., & Mulvenon, S. (1994). Depression, meaninglessness, and substance abuse in "normal" and hospitalized adolescents . Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 39, 101-111.

--In this research with 161 adolescents, purpose in life (modified PIL test) served as a significant mediator between psychological distress (e.g., depression) and substance use. The authors' discussion supports the inclusion of work on meaning/purpose in drug prevention programs.

Kinneir, R. [Div. of Psychology in Education, Counseling Psychology Program, 401 Payne Hall, Arizona State U., Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA], Metha, A., Okey, J., & Keim, J. (1994). Adolescent substance abuse and psychological health. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 40, 51-56.

--In this statistical analysis of data from their 161 adolescents, the authors found a linear relationship between psychological health (including meaning/purpose) and a self-report measure of drug usage without physician prescription.

Lantz, J. [College of Social Work, The Ohio State U., 1947 College Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA], & Ahern, R. (1994). Meaning and the family life cycle. Journal of Religion and Health, 33, 163-172.

--This article discusses opportunities for logotherapy within a family-life cycle model of development. Case illustrations are provided for most stages: unmarried young, young couple, young child, adolescent, launching-of-children, and later adult.

The International Forum for Logotherapy, 1997, 20, 125-126.

Lantz, J. [College of Social Work, The Ohio State U., 1947 College Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA]. (1994). Primary and secondary reflection in existential family therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 16, 315-327.

--This paper discusses use of Marcel's Primary Reflection (objective, problem-solving) and Secondary Reflection (discovering connections, meanings) in Existential Family Therapy. Examples of therapist activities are offered for both types of reflection.

Lantz, J. [College of Social Work, The Ohio State U., 1947 College Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 USA], & Witter, M. (1994). Existential psychotherapy with fast-track, suburban couples. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 24, 281-293.

--This paper describes a stage model framework (Joining and Assessment; Availability; Existential Reflection; Evaluation and Termination) for treatment of unhappy couples whose marital lifestyle has focused on success, power, status, happiness, and wealth. Use of Marcel's Primary and Secondary Reflection to facilitate the Existential Reflection stage is discussed. Several case illustrations are offered.

Nicholson, T. [ ], Higgins, W., Turner, P., & James, S. (1994). The relation between meaning in life and the occurence of drug abuse: A retrospective study. Journal of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 8, 24-28.

Rasmussen, C., & Johnson, M. [Dept. of Psychology, U. of Alaska, Anchorage, AK 99508 USA]. (1994). Spirituality and religiosity: Relative relationships to death anxiety . Omega, 29, 313-318.

--In this research, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale were administered to 208 college students. The authors conclude from the results that life-meaning/satisfaction has a significant negative relationship with death anxiety.

Schwartzberg, S. [Adult Outpatient Clinic, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02178 USA] (1994). Vitality and growth in HIV-infected gay men. Social Science Medicine, 38, 593-602.

--Seven HIV-positive gay men in a qualitative clinical interview study spoke in terms suggesting their diagnosis to be a meaningful experience. The author reports eight common characteristics of these men: belief in free will, capacity to see AIDS as an abstraction, HIV specialness, sense of community membership, a here-and-now focus, afterlife belief, altruistic behavior, and ability to tolerate contradictions.

Shek, D. [Dept. of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong], Ma, H., & Cheung, P. (1994). Meaning in life and adolescent antisocial and prosocial behavior in a Chinese context. Psychologia: An International Journal of Psychotherapy in the Orient, 37, 211-218.

Tarner, N. [Universidad Catolica de Cordoba, Obispo Trejo 323, 5000 Cordoba, Argentina]. (1994). Possibilities and conditions of integral education for older citizens: A pedagogic proposal. Journal des Viktor-Frankl-Instituts, 2(1), 62-66.

--This essay argues from several perspectives (including logotherapy) to put higher value on old age as a stage in normal human development. Results might be changes in the overal education system and re-thinking of adult education opportunities.

Waisberg, J. [Dept. of Psychology, Kingston General Hospital, 68 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3J7, Canada], & Porter, J. (1994). Purpose in life and outcome of treatment for alcohol dependence. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33, 49-63.

--With data taken in a larger study, PIL test scores of two groups (Ns = 45, 21) increased significantly during alcohol treatment, while PIL test scores of a control group (N = 16) did not change. PIL score at the end of treatment was a positive predictor of alcohol/drug use at 3-month follow-up for a skill-based treatment group; and a negative predictor of follow-up alcohol/drug use for a group where the direct teaching of spiritual values in an authoritarian manner was emphasized.

Wheeler, I. [Counseling and Psychological Services, Swingle Bldg., Montana State U., Bozeman, MT 59717 USA] (1994). The role of meaning and purpose in life in bereaved parents associated with a self-help group: Compassionate friends. Omega, 28 , 261-271.

--This study of 203 bereaved parents affiliated with Compassionate Friends used the PIL test, the Grief Experience Inventory, and descriptive data. Higher life-meaning was associated with lower grief. Also, higher life-meaning was associated with more time since death. Lower life-purpose was associated with death by suicide, death of an only child, and death of more than one child.