The International Forum for Logotherapy, 2007, 30, 57-62. 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO LOGOTHERAPISTS

Amanda M. A. Melton

Kwoneathia R. Hill

Marris, P. [Yale University, P. O. Box 208265, New Haven, CT 06520-8265, USA]. (2002). Holding onto meaning through the life cycle. In R. S. Weiss and A. Scott (Eds.), Challenges of the third age: Meaning and purpose in later life (pp. 13-28). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

 -- People seek meaning in all life events, and the focus changes as they age. A search for meaning arises in adolescence, followed by meaning in adulthood due to adult responsibilities (e.g., job), with potential issues of concern about meaning reappearing in old age. Meaning may be found in a number of ways, such as by recognizing one’s connection between past and future generations and by making contributions. When the meaning that one has created is threatened (e.g., retirement), one may experience a crisis that necessitates reconstructing the meaning of one’s world, incorporating past purpose and meaning into present and future meaning.

O’Connor, M. [Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, P. O. Box 210068, Tucson, AZ 85721-0068, USA]. (2002-2003). Making meaning of life events: Theory, evidence, and research directions for an alternative model. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 46, 51-75.

 -- In this review of research on the perspective of making meaning to adjust to negative life experiences, meaning-making is defined as cognitively and emotionally coming to a personal understanding of an experience as well as its implications. This can be achieved through writing about the experience and talking to family, friends, and other survivors of the experience. A meaning-making model of adjustment consists of the occurrence of a negative event followed by progressively varying coping techniques and emotions that result in one’s cognitive/emotional schemas being more flexible and one’s cognitions being more adjusted than before the experience. By making meaning, it is noted that individuals can go from having negative emotions to having positive emotions about a negative event through reaching a cognitive understanding. The meaning-making process is said to involve cognitive restructuring, negative emotion regulation, increased positive emotions, and decreased physiological reaction to the negative life event.

Palmer, G. [Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 744 San Antonio Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA], & Braud, W. (2002). Exceptional human experiences, disclosure, and a more inclusive view of physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 34, 29-61.

 -- As part of a study of the nature, impacts, and accompaniments of exceptional human experiences (EHEs including “psychic,” “unusual death-related,” “mystical/unitive,” “exceptional normal,” and “encounter” experiences) and potential effects of 10-week interventions involving the disclosure of EHEs on a community sample of 70 participants, individuals were assigned randomly to five groups: Assessment Group (control group), Mindfulness Group (control group with a mindfulness assignment), Solo Group (self-disclosure intervention group), Leaderless Group (disclosure intervention group that attended two-hour, weekly, leaderless group sessions), and Researcher Group (disclosure intervention group similar to the Leaderless Group except the first author lead the group). Correlational patterns that were noted were the associations of more life meaning and life purpose [Sources of Meaning Profile (SOMP), Life Attitude Profile (LAP)], greater disclosure [Index of Disclosure and Assimilation (IDA)], greater psychological well-being [Inventory of Positive Psychological Attitudes (IPPA)], more spirituality [Spiritual Orientation Inventory (SOI), Index of Core Spiritual Experience (INSPIRIT)], and less symptoms of stress [Stress-related Complaints (SRC)]. Analyses of variance indicated that participants in the Research and Leaderless Groups had significant changes in their LAP – Existential Transcendence (LAP-ET) scores from pre-assessment to post-assessment.

Pinquart, M. [Department of Developmental Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Am Steiger 3, Haus 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany]. (2002). Creating and maintaining purpose in life in old age: A meta-analysis. Ageing International, 27, 90-114.

 -- A meta-analysis (70 empirical articles, 10 unpublished articles, 5 books) of life purpose in younger (mean age less than 70) and older adults (mean age greater than 70) was conducted. Among the results it was found that life purpose decreased with age. Life purpose was also positively related to physical health and competence, with no significant difference between older and younger adults. Life purpose was positively related to social integration, with contact quality being more related than contact quantity. Life purpose was higher among married adults, and life purpose decreased with retirement. Life purpose was positively related to positive affect, and negatively related to depression (with this relationship being greater with younger adults).

Richardson, G. E. [Department of Health Promotion and Education, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA], & Waite, P. J. (2002). Mental health promotion through resilience and resiliency education. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 4, 65-75.

 -- Resilience and resiliency were delineated via discussion of resilient qualities, the process of resiliency, and the motivating force of resilience. Resilient qualities are those that are viewed as strengths that help clients to resolve problems—self-esteem, responsibility, and a positive outlook, among others. Resiliency refers to how these qualities are acquired, which is regarded as the process of being disrupted by change or adversity and then using personal strengths to overcome the challenge. Resiliency is a motivating force, inspiring individuals to reach for altruism, self-actualization, harmony, and wisdom. A specific resiliency education program is described, as are several studies on the effectiveness of such programs.

Richardson, H. [Alice Lloyd College, 100 Purpose Rd., Pippa Passes, KY 41844, USA]. (2002). Mississippi blues…with tiny pockets of Gandhian hope. Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice, 15, 52-55.

 -- The author describes her move to a small town (Mound Bayou) in rural Mississippi to take a university position. The town was overrun with poverty and crime. Being one of four Caucasian people, she felt out of place, but was far more distressed by the social and economic conditions. Using Gandhi’s words, she sought to be the change for which she hoped. As part of a school assignment, youths interviewed elderly people in the community, the results of which became the basis for a grant for a senior wellness center that brought resources and a sense of community to the town.

Savolaine, J. [Adult Partial Hospital Program, Ohio State University-Harding Hospital. 356 Arps Hall, 1945 North High St., Columbus, OH 43210, USA], & Granello, P. F. (2002). The function of meaning and purpose for individual wellness. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education, and Development, 41, 178-189.

 -- The relationship between wellness and life meaning is summarized. Having a sense of meaning or purpose may instill values and a sense of identity. With regard to behavior, meaning may cause people to begin or to continue positive habits and thus counteract discouragement. Meaning can also help people adapt to changes and can increase preservation behaviors (wearing a seatbelt). Interpersonally, meaning may lead a person to become other-centered and become involved in groups with similar values. Meaning may also help prevent “existential vacuum,” as originally proposed by Frankl, and can improve a person’s sense-making capabilities, thus helping to shape reactions to life events. Health-related benefits of having meaning in life include tolerating negative events with greater effectiveness.

Scannell, E. D. [Psychology Department, Monash University, P. O. Box 197, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia, 3145], Allen, F. C. L., & Burton, J. (2002). Meaning in life and positive and negative well-being. North American Journal of Psychology, 4, 93-112.

 -- Two hierarchical regression analyses were performed on responses of 83 people to a variety of measures with the goal of investigating the extent that positive and negative well-being instruments predict meaning in life as measured by the Fulfillment (affective) and Framework (cognitive) subscales of the Life Regard Index. With regard to the Framework and Fulfillment subscales, two negative well-being measures (Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive scales of the Brief Symptom Inventory) and two positive well-being measures (Happiness Index and Spiritual scale from the Mental-Physical-Spiritual Well-being Scale) were significant predictors. However, when all positive well-being measures were added to the regression equation, the negative well-being measures no longer significantly predicted Fulfillment. The authors concluded that since positive well-being measures improved prediction of Framework and Fulfillment, positive and negative well-being are influenced by different factors.

Schnoll, R. A. [Fox Chase Cancer Center, 510 Township Line Road, Cheltenham, PA 19012, USA], Knowles, J. C., & Harlow, L. (2002). Correlates of adjustment among cancer survivors. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 20, 37-59.

 -- As part of a study of 109 cancer survivors, results indicated that greater life meaning (revised version of the Purpose in Life test) was related to greater sexual adjustment (r = .31), extended family adjustment (r = .50), social adjustment (r = .61), and psychological health adjustment (r = .58), which were all measured with the Psychological Adjustment to Illness Scale. 

Sivberg, B. [Department of Nursing, Lund University, P. O. Box 157, 221 00 Lund, Sweden]. (2002). Coping strategies and parental attitudes: A comparison of parents with children with autistic spectrum disorders and parents with non-autistic children. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 61, 36-50.

 -- This study examined differences in coping strategies between the parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in comparison to a control group of parents of children without ASD. Sixty-six participants each formed the experimental and control groups, which were matched on a number of demographic variables. All participants were administered the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC), the Purpose in Life test-Revised (Swedish version; PIL-R), and four groups of parental attitudes and feelings items (Loving care, Worry, Stress, and Guilt feelings) from the Family Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Parents of children with ASD consistently showed fewer coping strategies, more negative attitudes, and fewer positive attitudes toward their children than parents of children without ASD. Implications of the findings for families with children with ASD include the necessity to improve coping and the educational, health, and community support that they receive.

Sjogren-Ronka, T. [Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Public Health Institute, P. O. Box 35, FIN-40351 Jyvaskyla, Finland], Ojanen, M. T., Leskinen, E. K., Mustalampi, S. T., & Malkia, E. A. (2002). Physical and psychosocial prerequisites of functioning in relation to work ability and general subjective well-being among office workers. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 28, 184-190.

 -- A study examining psychological and physical functioning as they relate to subjective well-being (two questions on life meaning and life satisfaction) and work ability (Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Work Ability Index) in 88 office workers (i.e., government employees with physically light jobs) was conducted. The overall results of a path analysis suggested that physical functioning (i.e., musculoskeletal symptoms intensity which includes musculoskeletal discomfort and pain measured with the Borg CR10 scale) and psychological functioning (i.e., self-confidence and mood) are related to subjective well-being after adjusting for gender and age. That is, low musculoskeletal symptoms intensity and younger age are associated with greater work ability, which in turn is related to greater subjective well-being. Additionally, high self-confidence is associated with greater work ability, which in turn is related to greater subjective well-being.

Specht, J. [Psychology Department, Huron University College, 1349 Western Road, London, Ontario N6G 1H3, Canada], King, G., Brown, E., & Foris, C. (2002). The importance of leisure in the lives of persons with congenital physical disabilities. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56, 436-445.

 -- As part of a secondary qualitative analysis, interviews were conducted to examine the role of leisure in the lives of nine persons with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. It was suggested that involvement in social leisure activities (e.g., athletic membership) and accomplishments (e.g., recognition of athletic and writing talents) relate to self-concept or self-worth and life meaning.

Tanyi, R. A. [1547 Marion Street, Apt #207, Saint Paul, MN 55117, USA]. (2002). Towards clarification of the meaning of spirituality. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39, 500-509.

 -- The meaning of spirituality related to nursing and health consists of a search for life meaning and purpose. Spirituality is comprised of the values and practices that provide meaning that motivate people to maximize their potential. The author acknowledged research that proposes that nursing education in spiritual care is important, and research that encourages the use of assessment tools that address patients’ spiritual concerns.

Tomich, P. L. [Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA], & Helgeson, V. S. (2002). Five years later: A cross-sectional comparison of breast cancer survivors with healthy women. Psycho-Oncology, 11, 154-169.

 -- This study examined the quality of life of 164 female breast cancer survivors five years post-diagnosis. A control group of women was used for comparison. Six of the eight scales from the World Assumptions Scale, several questions measuring meaning in life, the Spiritual Well-Being Scale of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy, the SF-36 Health Survey, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale were also used. In comparison to women in the control group, breast cancer survivors searched for meaning less often, viewed the world as more random, and reported poorer physical functioning. The groups did not differ with regard to views of the world, the self, or spirituality. Implications of the results are discussed.

Zebrack, B. J. [UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 10940 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA], & Chesler, M. A. (2002). Quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology, 11, 132-141.

 -- The Quality of Life—Cancer Survivors assesses life quality in cancer survivors, and is composed of four subscales (physical well-being, psychological well-being, social well-being, and spiritual well-being). In this study of children who survived cancer, multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the effects of medical and demographic variables on the measure’s total and subscale scores. Within the physical domain, fatigue, aches, and pain were rated as most problematic for long-term survivors, whereas fear of a second bout with cancer was rated as most problematic within the psychological domain. Within the social domain, family distress relating to illness had the most impact on life quality. Quality of life was also negatively affected by changes in spiritual/religious routines and uncertainty about the future. Life quality was improved by hopefulness and having a sense of purpose in life.

AMANDA M. A. MELTON [amadamso@olemiss.edu] and KWONEATHIA R. HILL [khill1@olemiss.edu] are graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Training Program in the Department of Psychology at The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA. The authors would like to acknowledge Stephanie Wood for assistance with fact checking, and Stefan E. Schulenberg, Ph.D. for editing this article.