The International Forum for Logotherapy, 2007, 30, 118-127.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO LOGOTHERAPISTS

Amanda M. A. Melton & Stephanie Wood

Andresen, R. [Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia, mja02@uow.edu.au], Oades, L., & Caputi, P. (2003). The experience of recovery from schizophrenia: Towards an empirically validated stage model. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 37, 586-594.

-- A total of 50 articles were reviewed (28 published experiential accounts, 14 articles about recovery, and 8 qualitative studies). The goals of the review were to establish a definition of recovery, identify key recovery processes, and define the stages of recovery from mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. As part of this larger review of the recovery literature, the authors arrived at a definition of recovery which they termed psychological recovery. Psychological recovery posits that recovery has been achieved when the person has developed a sense of self and meaningful life based on hope and responsibility. The authors described a five-stage model of recovery: moratorium (denial, lack of hope, and confusion are experienced), awareness (the person becomes cognizant that recovery is possible), preparation (preparing to work on one’s own recovery), rebuilding (in which the actual work towards recovery takes place), and growth (distinguished by being able to cope with setbacks, maintain a positive outlook, and have confidence in one’s ability to lead a meaningful life).

Ardelt, M. [University of Florida, Department of Sociology, P. O. Box 117330, Gainsville, FL 32611-7330, USA; ardelt@soc.ufl.edu]. (2003). Effects of religion and purpose in life on elders’ subjective well-being and attitudes toward death. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14, 55-77.

-- Subjective well-being, attitudes toward death, intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity, shared spiritual activities, religious affiliation, purpose in life (PIL), and subjective health were measured in a sample of 103 older adults, ages 58-87. Correlational analyses were reported, as well as results from multivariate Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses. Purpose in life, subjective health, and age significantly predicted subjective well-being, accounting for 58% of the variance. Though intrinsic religious orientation was not predictive of fear of death or death avoidance, purpose in life was negatively related and extrinsic religious orientation was positively related to fear of death and death avoidance.

Ataoğlu, A. [Abant Izzet Baysal University, Düzce Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Düzce, Turkey; aataoglu@ibuduzce-tip.edu.tr], Özcetin, A., İcmeli, C., & Özbulut, Ö. (2003). Paradoxical therapy in conversion reaction. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 18, 581-584.

-- Thirty patients with conversion disorder were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: paradoxical intention (PI) and diazepam (5-15 mg). The anxiety levels of the patients were measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) before and after treatment. Anxiety scores were significantly lower at the end of treatment than at the beginning for both the PI group (z = 3.41, p = 0.0007) and the diazepam group (z = 3.24, p = 0.0012). However, the decreased anxiety scores were more significant for the PI group than for the diazepam group (z = 2.43, p = 0.015). Fourteen out of the 15 (93.3%) patients in the PI group improved, while 9 of the 15 (60%) patients in the diazepam group improved.  

Bevvino, D. L. [Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Suite 2120, 301 South 7^th Ave., West Reading, PA, 19611, USA; BevvinoD@readinghospital.org], & Sharkin, B. (2003). Divorce adjustment as a function of finding meaning and gender differences. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 39, 81-97.

-- The Constructed Meaning Scale (CMS), the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOCQ), the Disentanglement subscale of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS), and the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB) were administered to 119 people in various stages of divorce. Meaning correlated significantly with coherence, disentanglement, and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analyses suggested that meaning explained 3% more variance in divorce adjustment than gender, educational level, length of separation, whether the person initiated the divorce, disentanglement, and coherence. It was concluded that those who find meaning and/or purpose in life adjust better to divorce. 

Bower, J. E. [Univ. of California Los Angeles, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, A2-125 CHS, P. O. Box 956900, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-6900, USA; jbower@ucla.edu], Kemeny, M., Taylor, S., & Fahey, J. (2003). Finding positive meaning and its association with natural killer cell cytotoxicity among participants in a bereavement-related disclosure intervention. The Society of Behavioral Medicine, 25, 146-155.

-- Forty-three women who had lost a close relative to breast cancer and consequently perceived themselves to be at heightened risk for developing the disease wrote about the death of their loved ones as well as their emotional reactions to their losses (experimental condition), or about non-emotional topics such as tasks to be accomplished during the day (control condition). Several questionnaires including the Life Goals Inventory (a measure of meaning-related goals) were administered before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) this experimental manipulation. It was hypothesized that the cognitive processing that this experimental manipulation was intended to produce would increase goals and priorities pertaining to meaning in life and that this increase would, in turn, lead to increases in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC), a measure of positive immune response. However, results indicated that the writing task did not increase goals related to meaning in life as intended. So, the authors examined the effects of changes in meaning-related goals collapsed across conditions. Those participants whose Life Goals Inventory scores improved or remained high from Time 1 to Time 2 showed an increase in NKCC, whereas the reverse was true for participants whose Life Goals Inventory scores declined or remained low.

Damon, W. [Stanford University, School of Education, Cypress Hall, Bldg. C, Stanford, CA 94305-4145, USA; wdamon@stanford.edu], Menon, J., & Bronk, K. C. (2003). The development of purpose during adolescence. Applied Developmental Science, 7, 119-128.

-- Literature regarding the importance of meaning to adolescents, as well as the ability of adolescents to develop a sense of purpose, was reviewed. The authors defined purpose as a steady desire and plan to work toward and accomplish a goal that is meaningful both to the self and to humanity at large. Several scales, such as the Purpose in Life (PIL) test, Sources of Meaning Profile (SOMP), and Developing Purpose Inventory were evaluated regarding relevance to an adolescent population and toward the end of establishing a measure of purpose specifically for use with an adolescent population. The authors found that adolescents who express feeling a sense of purpose show more established religious and personal identities.

Edwards, M. J. [Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada; edwards@psyc.queensu.ca], & Holden, R. R. (2003). Coping, meaning in life, and suicidal manifestations: Examining gender differences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59, 1133-1150.

-- This study investigated gender differences in suicidal manifestations (lifetime suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and likelihood of future suicidal behavior), as well as how risk factors such as hopelessness, life meaning, and coping strategies contribute to the prediction of such manifestations. The study assessed these risk factors using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) to determine whether participants approach problems in a task-oriented, emotion-oriented, or avoidance-oriented coping style. The Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) and Purpose in Life (PIL) test were used to assess life meaning, while the Beck Hopelessness Scale measured degree of hopelessness. Specific items from the Suicidal Manifestations Questionnaire were also used. Of the 298 participants (151 women, 80% Caucasian), 56% of men and 62% of women reported suicidal ideation in their lifetimes. The authors controlled for hopelessness during data analysis to better investigate the contribution of other factors. Analysis indicated that emotion-oriented coping correlated significantly and positively with suicidal ideation, attempts, and likelihood of future suicidal behavior. Purpose in life was significantly and negatively related with suicidal ideation and future suicide behavior for both men and women. Sense of coherence significantly negatively correlated with all measures for women. It also was negatively correlated with ideation and the likelihood of future behavior in men. These correlations suggest that including measures of coping strategies and meaning could enhance the assessment of suicidal ideation.

Eggers, S. J. [5498 North Angela Road, Memphis, TN, 38120, USA; sjeggers@memphis.edu]. (2003). Older adult spirituality: What is it? A factor analysis of three related instruments. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14, 3-33.

-- A factor analysis of three scales was conducted to examine dimensions of religiosity and spirituality in a sample of 320 adults 65 years or older. Participants were administered randomly selected questions from three scales: the Spiritual Well Being Scale (designed to assess Religious Well-Being – or one’s sense of comfort in relation to God; and Existential Well-Being – or one’s sense of purpose and satisfaction with life); the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Religiosity Scale (based on the ideas that an extrinsically motivated person will use and display religion publicly while an intrinsically motivated person lives religion privately and for his or her own purposes); and the Life Satisfaction Index A (which measures happiness, positive affect or outlook, and satisfaction with life). Data analysis was conducted to see which items from the scales seem to measure similar things. Four factors were revealed: an intrinsic or personal sense of religion, satisfaction with life, use of religion for external purposes, and dissatisfaction with life. The author suggests that a new scale, The Older Adult Spirituality Scale, should use questions from each of these factors to measure dimensions of adult spirituality.

Emmons, R. A. [Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8686, USA; raemmons@ucdavis.edu]. (2003). Personal goals, life meaning, and virtue: Wellsprings of a positive life. In C. L. M. Keyes & J. Haidt (Eds.), Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived (pp. 105-128). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

-- This chapter summarizes literature related to personal goals, life meaning, and a positive life. The author concludes that despite variant methodologies and samples, four categories of life meaning have emerged: achievements–work, relationships–intimacy, religion–spirituality, and self-transcendence–generativity. A positive life encompasses three broad domains: positive subjective experience, positive personal and interpersonal traits, and positive institutions and communities. The chapter also presents an accumulation of empirical research on goals and how they relate to positive living. A discussion of the goal content, the intrinsic versus extrinsic nature of the goal, and whether the person is striving for positive goals versus attempting to avoid negative goals is offered. The research is then applied to a novel sample: patients with neuromuscular disease. Within this sample, having personal goals that allowed the participants to be integrated into their communities was the strongest predictor of well-being, while goal meaningfulness and low goal difficulty were the strongest predictors of positive affect. The author suggests that examining personal goals is one way to increase meaning within certain clinical populations. The chapter concludes with a description of qualities that tend to improve goal success: prudence, patience, and perseverance. 

Fava, G. A. [Affective Disorders Program, Dept. of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, Bologna 40127, Italy; fava@psibounibo.it], & Ruini, C. (2003). Development and characteristics of a well-being enhancing psychotherapeutic strategy: Well-being therapy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 34, 45-63.

-- Four developments (relapse and recurrence in mood and anxiety disorders, clinical improvement mistaken as full recovery, quality of life and positive health, and the growth of positive psychology) have lead to an increase in therapeutic strategies that strive to enhance well-being, rather than merely reducing symptoms and pathology. This study describes one such strategy, Well-Being Therapy, in terms of session structure (initial, intermediate, and final sessions), key concepts (environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance, and positive relations with others), technical aspects (cognitive restructuring, scheduling of activities, assertiveness training, and problem solving), and potential mechanisms of action. Initial validation studies are described.  

Ferch, S. R. [Doctoral Studies in Leadership, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, 992588-0025, USA; ferch@gonzaga.edu], & Ramsey, M. I. (2003). Sacred Conversation: A spiritual response to unavoidable suffering. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 37, 16-27.

-- A new approach to therapy, termed Sacred Conversation, in which clients are encouraged to address relational hurts that often accompany unavoidable suffering (such as alienation, loss, and chronic pain) is reviewed. The approach focuses on empathy and forgiveness and is comprised of three features: overcoming the emotional barricade (emphasizing forgiveness), building the person-to-person relationship (emphasizing personal dialogue), and framing the Sacred Conversation (emphasizing a positive sense of self and others). The Sacred Conversation involves three steps. The first step involves an intentional statement of encouragement to a loved one (e.g., "One of the things I appreciate about you is your work ethic."). The second step involves a self-statement of weakness about an area that needs improvement within the broader relational issue (e.g., "I know I sometimes lecture you regarding how you deal with my chronic headaches."). The third step refers to a question, with the goal of opening the area that has previously been difficult to approach within the relational unit (e.g., "What's it like for you when I lecture you?"). 

Firestone, R. W. [5383 Hollister Avenue, Suite 270, Santa Barbara, California 93111, USA; jina@glendon.org], Firestone, L. A., & Catlett, J. (2003). Spirituality, mystery, and the search for meaning. In Creating a life of meaning and compassion: The wisdom of psychotherapy (pp. 377-385). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

-- This chapter examines the search for meaning in terms of spirituality/religion and personal relationships. The authors argue that one of the most important steps in developing a sense of self is to develop individualized conclusions and beliefs. They argue for the importance of spirituality in a broad sense, that we should be proactive and self-searching; we should find sacredness, whether it be in a higher power, the arts, nature, etc. In order to find happiness and a sense of meaning, the authors argue that people have to invest in goals. Finally, as part of a larger discussion of the importance of emotional perception and expression, they argue that love is one of the greatest components of a purposeful life.

Halama, P. [Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9. 813 64, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Peter.Halama@savba.sk]. (2003). Meaning and hope -- Two factors of positive psychological functioning in late adulthood. Studia Psychologica, 45, 103-110.

-- Structural equation modeling was used on the responses of 94 elderly participants aged 50-79 to the Personal Meaning Index (PMI) from the Life Attitude Profile (LAP), Snyder's Hope Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI; measures curiosity, depressiveness, aggressiveness, and anxiousness), the Internality-Externality Scale, and the Neuroticism Scale from the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The combination of meaning in life and hope was termed Positive Life Regard and was treated as a causal agent that affects positive mental functioning (created from the observed variables of internality, self-esteem, and curiosity) and negative mental functioning (created from the observed variables of aggressiveness, anxiousness, depressiveness, and neuroticism). The fit of this causal model was tested, and the results were suggestive of a good fit (e.g., RMSEA = .07, GFI = .94, CFI = .96). The author concludes that positive life regard strongly and positively affects mental functioning.

Halama, P. [Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9. 813 64, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; Peter.Halama@savba.sk]. (2003). On the relationship between religiosity and life meaningfulness. Archives for the Psychology of Religion, 24, 218-233.

-- The Personal Meaning Index (PMI), the Life Meaningfulness Scale (LMS), the Swedish Religious Orientation Scale (SROS; includes items pertaining to intrinsic – internal religious values, acceptance of religious beliefs and demands; extrinsic – use of religion to fulfill personal needs; and quest religiosity – contemplating existential questions), the Religious Maturity Scale (RMA; measures commitment to religious values and openness to change), the Index of Orthodoxy (OTD; measures strength of belief in Christian doctrine), and the Religious Salience Scale (SLC; measures significance of religion in one's life) were administered to 104 Catholic grammar school students to measure the relationship(s) among life meaningfulness and several aspects of religiosity. Results showed that some aspects of religiosity were related to life meaningfulness (i.e., religious salience, intrinsic religiosity, and orthodoxy), whereas others were not (i.e., extrinsic, quest, and mature religiosity), though the latter three measures (extrinsic, quest, and mature religiosity) were also found to have unsatisfactory reliability estimates. Additional analyses were conducted by means of multiple correlation and cluster hierarchical analysis of variance to investigate relationships among life meaningfulness and individual religiosity items. The author concludes that meaningful religion is a reciprocal relationship between what one gives to (e.g., time) and receives from (e.g., support) religion.

Hall, V. P. [Department of Nursing, Moore Hall 207, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA; hallv@wcu.edu]. (2003). Bearing witness to suffering in AIDS: The testing of a substantive theory. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 14, 25-36.

-- A study was conducted to test whether volunteering with AIDS patients or participating in outreach/education programs leads to increased self-esteem, hope, and/or perceived level of social support, which may then predict a greater sense of purpose in life. Participants (N = 120; 64% men, mean age 42.3 years) filled out a packet containing, among other things, a demographic questionnaire, questions regarding whether they had completed some type of AIDS volunteerism in the past, the Herth Hope Index (HHI), the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS SSS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and the Existential Well-Being Scale (EWB). Participants were then divided into four groups: HIV/AIDS positive volunteers, HIV/AIDS positive non-volunteers, HIV/AIDS negative volunteers, and HIV/AIDS negative non-volunteers. Each group had an equal number of participants. Data were analyzed using path analysis. The best-fitting model indicated that volunteering with AIDS populations did not appear to directly affect purpose in life. However, hope, self-esteem, and social support positively affected life purpose.

Katsuno, T. [Department of Nursing Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University of Health Sciences, 7-2-10 Higashiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-8551 Japan; katsuno@post.metro-hs.ac.jp]. (2003). Personal spirituality of persons with early-stage dementia. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 2, 315-335.

-- Purposive sampling was used to identify 23 patients from a dementia-specific adult day-care center with a minimum Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) score of 18. Qualitative interview data, as well as quantitative data from the Systems of Belief Inventory (SBI-15, a measure of personal spirituality) and the Quality of Life Index (QLI, a measure of quality of life within four areas: health/functioning, psychological/spiritual, social/economic, and family) were collected. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed one overarching theme: faith in God comprised of six categories (beliefs, support from God, sense of meaning/purpose in life, private practice, public practice, and changes in beliefs and rituals due to cognitive impairments caused by dementia) and 16 subcategories. Results of the quantitative data revealed significant correlations between the QLI and SBI total scores (r = 0.44, p < .05) and among several subscales of each measure. The results were interpreted to mean that people suffering from early-stage dementia who cope with the cognitive decline and other stresses of their condition by using their religious faith tend to have higher levels of perceived quality of life.

King, G. [Thames Valley Children’s Centre, 779 Base Line Road East, London, Ontario, Canada N6C 5Y6; gilliank@tvcc.on.ca], Cathers, T., Brown, E., et al. (2003). Turning points and protective processes in the lives of people with chronic disabilities. Qualitative Health Research, 13, 184-206.

-- The goal of this qualitative study was to investigate resilience in people with chronic, non-progressive disabilities such as spina bifida and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Turning points, defined as critical and emotionally loaded life events, experiences, or insights, were the medium for examining resilience and how individuals develop a sense of meaning through such resilience. Fifteen individuals with disabilities participated in taped/transcribed interviews during which they described situations/ experiences in their lives they identified as turning points. The conversations were coded for recurring themes, situations, and settings. The majority of participants were satisfied with their lives and activities and felt competent at managing their lives. The most common physical setting for the occurrence of turning points was an educational environment, followed by an institution that provided service for individuals with disabilities. Three main themes were identified in participants’ descriptions of turning points that helped them cultivate or preserve a sense of meaning: belonging, doing, and understanding the self or the world. Helpful factors in coping with the emotional volatility associated with turning points (such as anxiety, fear, joy, and anger) were identified as social support (someone having confidence in them), personality traits (such as tenacity), and spiritual beliefs. Experiencing and coping with these turning points reflected lasting changes in participants’ lives (e.g., feeling that one can effectively manage life’s stressors and confidence in the ability to convert a negative experience into a positive one).

Kinnier, R. T. [College of Education, Arizona State Univ., P. O. Box 870611, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; kinnier@asu.edu], Kernes, J. L., Tribbensee, N. E., & Van Puymbroeck, C. M. (2003). What eminent people have said about the meaning of life. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 43, 105-118.

 -- A content analysis was conducted on 238 quotations (spoken publicly or published) from 195 eminent people (144 men, 51 women), including writers/philosophers, artists/musicians/actors, scientists/inventors, political and business leaders, spiritual leaders, and prominent people in sports. A person was included in the analysis as eminent only if all four authors agreed that the person was well known and respected. Themes were identified and quotes were placed into thematic categories if three of the four authors agreed and the fourth did not strongly disagree. Through this method, ten themes were identified among the quotes, ranging from enjoying/ experiencing life (17%), to loving/serving/helping others (13%), to contributing something greater than ourselves (6%), to life being absurd or a joke (4%). The intended purpose was to give ideas and inspiration to readers who might be searching for meaning in life.

Konstam, V. [Grad. College of Education, Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston, 100 Morrissey Bldg., Boston, MA, 02125, USA; varda.konstam@umb.edu], Holmes, W., Wilczenski, F., Baliga, S., Lester, J., & Priest, R. (2003). Meaning in the lives of caregivers of individuals with Parkinson's Disease. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 10, 17-25.

-- Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted on the responses of 58 caregivers of patients with Parkinson's Disease to the Finding Meaning through Caregiving Scale (FMTC, comprised of Loss/ powerlessness, Provisional Meaning, and Ultimate Meaning subscales), the Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R, composed of Purpose, Coherence, Existential Vacuum, Choice and Responsibleness, Death Acceptance, and Goal Seeking subscales, as well as Personal Meaning and Existential Transcendence Indexes), and the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List Revised [MAACL-R, comprised of Dysphoria and Positive Affect]. The authors hypothesized that finding meaning in general and with respect to caregiving would predict well-being in caregivers. However, while meaning in general predicted well-being in the caregivers, meaning specific to caregiving did not contribute significantly to the explanatory model. The authors suggest that two separate pathways to well-being may exist: one that focuses on positive affect (characterized by purpose in life), and one that focuses on negative affect (characterized by Existential Vacuum, Existential Transcendence, Choice, and Emotional Support).

Krause, N. [Health  Behavior & Health Education, M5017 SPH II, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA; nkrause@umich.edu]. (2003). Religious meaning and subjective well-being in late life. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 58B, S160-S170.

-- This study investigated whether religious meaning (using religion as a way to find a sense of purpose, direction, or meaning in life) is associated with feelings of well-being later in life, and how race may influence such feelings. Subjective well-being was defined as substantial feelings of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and optimism. A final sample of 1,247 individuals aged 66 or older (50% Caucasian, 50% African American) participated in interviews that contained survey questions focusing on religious habits, personal meaning that specifically comes from religion, and the components of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem, and optimism). Results indicated that for both Caucasian and African American older adults, greater religious meaning was related to greater life satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and stronger optimism. However, religious meaning plays a larger role in influencing these feelings of well-being for African Americans than for Caucasians.

Krause, N. [Health Behavior & Health Education, M5017 SPH II, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA; nkrause@umich.edu], & Shaw, B. A. (2003). Role-specific control, personal meaning, and health in late life. Research on Aging, 25, 559-586.

-- This study evaluated the relationship between feelings of control within a specific role, a sense of personal meaning, and self-rated general health in the elderly. The authors hypothesized that if people experience a sense of control (defined as feelings of influence, ability to manage problems, and ability to make plans work) related to the most salient roles in their lives (such as identifying themselves as a mother or wife), they will also experience greater personal meaning and better rate their overall health. Interviews were conducted and resulted in a final sample of 442 persons aged 65 or older. Interview questions prompted participants to identify the three most salient personal roles (e.g., mother, wife, volunteer) and rank them in order of importance. They then rated their feelings of control (such as feelings of influence and manageability) associated with each role. Four personal meaning questions assessed whether the participants felt they had a sense of direction and purpose in their lives. Finally, participants were asked to rate their own overall health (excellent, good, fair, or poor), determine whether they were satisfied with their health, and compare their health to the health of their peers. Analyses revealed that greater feelings of control were associated with greater feelings of meaning for the most salient role. Feelings of control were also associated with more favorable ratings of general health for the most important role. Finally, older adults who were able to find a sense of personal meaning in their lives better rated their health.

AMANDA M. A. MELTON [amadamso@olemiss.edu] and STEPHANIE WOOD [sswood@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 Stefan E. Schulenberg, Ph.D., for editing this article.