The International Forum for Logotherapy, 2009, 32, 58-63.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO LOGOTHERAPISTS

Stephanie Wood & Tara K. Luchkiw

Kimble, M. A. [Luther Seminary, 2481 Como Avenue, St. Paul MN, 55108; melakimble@aol.com]. (2004). Human despair and comic transcendence. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 16, 1-11.

-- The author provided an overview of images of despair viewed through various lenses, including perspectives from psychology, literature, theology, and philosophy. Ways of coping with despair are considered, with emphasis on transcendence as conceptualized in logotherapy.

King, G. A. [Thames Valley Children’s Centre, 779 Base Line Road East, London, Ontario, N6C 5Y6, Canada; gilliank@tvcc.on.ca]. (2004). The meaning of life experiences: Application of a meta-model to rehabilitation sciences and services. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 74, 72-88.

-- The author proposed a model outlining the ways people develop meaning in life. A basis for the model is that meaning in life can be acquired through experiences reflecting belonging, doing, and understanding. The model has five central principles: meaning in life experiences are interconnected, there is no determinant cause and effect relationship between meaning and an experience, paths to meaning are characterized by individual differences, commitment is fundamental to having a sense of meaning in life, and life-long adaptation and changes are how life meaning is established and maintained over the life span. Applications of the model are discussed.

Kitamura, T. [Kumamoto University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan; kitamura@kaiju.medic.kumamoto-u.ac.jp], Kishida, Y., Gatayama, R., Matsuoka, T., Miura, S., & Yamabe, K. (2004). Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Inventory: Factorial structure and life history correlations among Japanese university students. Psychological Reports, 94, 83-103.

-- A sample of 574 (428 male) Japanese university students were administered several measures, including The Psychological Well-Being Inventory (a six subscale questionnaire addressing healthy psychological functioning) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (consisting of Anxiety and Depression subscales). Confirmatory factor analysis of The Psychological Well-Being Inventory resulted in six components (Self-Acceptance, Autonomy, Positive Relations with Others, Purpose in Life, Personal Growth, and Environmental Mastery), consistent with Ryff’s original model. Males’ scores on the Environmental Mastery subscale were significantly higher, indicating a greater sense of managing one’s environment, whereas females’ scores were significantly higher on the Positive Relations with Others subscale, indicating more satisfaction with personal relationships. With regard to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, there were significant negative correlations with Self-Acceptance, Positive Relations with Others, and Purpose in Life.

Krause, J. S. [Medical University of South Carolina, 19 Hagood Avenue, Suite 910, Charleston, SC 29425; krause@musc.edu], Broderick, L. E., & Broyles, J. (2004). Subjective well-being among African-Americans with spinal cord injury: An exploratory study between men and women. NeuroRehabilitation, 19, 81-89.

-- An outpatient hospital sample of African Americans who had sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury (N = 309, 88% male) were administered the Older Adult Health and Mood Inventory (OAHMI), the Life Situation Questionnaire-Revised (LSQ-R), and the Purpose in Life test (PIL). Women reported significantly more negative affect (LSQ-R) and endorsed more depressive symptoms (OAHMI). Men reported significantly greater meaning in life (PIL). Individual item analysis of the LSQ-R revealed that women reported significantly greater satisfaction with their sex lives, but greater problems in such areas as pain, depression, family, and stress. Men indicated significantly more problems with sex lives and pressure sores.

Krause, N. [Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029; nkrause@umich.edu]. (2004). Stressors arising in highly valued roles, meaning in life, and the physical status of older adults.  Journal of Gerontology, 59B, S287-S297.

-- The author explored the relationship between the value an individual places on various social roles, stressors that pertain to those roles, emotional support from significant others, meaning in life, and physical health in older adults using interviews and self-report measures. Data from an ongoing longitudinal study were analyzed using multiple regression and a test for interaction effects. Sample sizes for these analyses ranged from 1,301 to 1,446. Several noteworthy findings emerged from the analyses. First, stressful life events occurring in roles that are highly valued were correlated with lower ratings of physical health. Second, although stressors lead to lower self-ratings of health, the stressors affect physical health status only when they lack sufficient emotional support. Finally, health status is affected by stressors diminishing an individual’s sense of meaning in life.

Lantz, J. [deceased]. (2004). Research and evaluation issues in existential psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 34, 331-340.

-- Issues raised by logotherapists regarding research are presented. Traditional clinical research assumes that change comes as a result from the intervention provided, while logotherapists assert that change must come from the individual. Further, mainstream research attempts to standardize conditions and treatments, while logotherapists emphasize the individualistic needs of each client. The author discussed several research formats to appease the assertions of both traditional clinical researchers and logotherapy researchers, including case stories, case transcripts, single-subject case design studies, before-after field studies, and grounded theory studies.

Pattakos, A. N. [223 North Guadalupe Street, #243, Santa Fe, NM 87501-1850; alex@seedsofinnovation.com]. (2004). The search for meaning in government service. Public Administration Review, 64, 106-112.

-- The author discussed logotherapy as a means of providing meaning for government workers. An informal survey of over 200 public servants suggested that for most workers, perceived meaning evolved over time. The author discussed the data in terms of creative (most indicated that making a difference was the primary source of meaning), experiential (drawing from positive experiences, emphasizing that they work for the people and not the bureaucracy), and attitudinal (choosing a positive attitude) values.

Ruini, C., & Fava, G. A. [Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat, 5 – 40127, Bologna, Italy; fava@psibo.unibo.it]. (2004). Clinical implications of psychological well-being. Ricerche di Psicologia, 278, 159-175.

-- The authors introduced Well-Being Therapy (WBT), which is based on Ryff’s cognitive model of psychological well-being, and described its similarity to standard cognitive therapies. Although cognitive therapies appear similar to WBT because they also include positive thinking, the authors differentiate the two types of therapies. The main difference between the two therapies is that the focus of WBT is on emotional well-being and includes goals to promote well-being, whereas cognitive therapies generally tend to place focus on psychological distress and include goals to reduce distress. WBT was originally designed to treat affective disorders, but further applications were suggested (e.g., body image disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder). Clinical studies as to the efficacy of WBT were illustrated.

Schulenberg, S. E. [Department of Psychology, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677; sschulen@olemiss.edu]. (2004). A psychometric investigation of logotherapy measures and the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2). North American Journal of Psychology, 6, 477-492.

-- Psychometric data were collected on four logotherapy measures: the Purpose in Life test (PIL), the Life Purpose Questionnaire (LPQ), the Seeking of Noetic Goals test (SONG), and the Meaning in Suffering Test (MIST). The PIL and LPQ measure perceived meaning. The SONG assesses motivation to find additional life purpose, and the MIST measures perceived meaning in unavoidable suffering. Data were examined to evaluate their reliability, and to determine how these measures relate to each other and to the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2), a measure of psychological distress. Results supported the internal consistency reliability of the measures’ overall scores, and statistically significant correlations between the measures of meaning and distress were in the expected direction.

Sharp, W. G. [Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329; sharp@marcus.org], Wilson, K. G., & Schulenberg, S. E. (2004). Use of paradoxical intention in the context of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Psychological Reports, 95, 946-948.

-- The authors discussed the utility of logotherapy’s technique of paradoxical intention to other paradigms. For instance, paradoxical intention has been used by behavior therapists for the treatment of sleep disorders, anxiety, and obsessive disorders, among others. In this article, primary focus is placed on paradoxical intention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Smith, B. W. [Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131; bwsmith@unm.edu], & Zautra, A. J. (2004). The role of purpose in life in recovery from knee surgery. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 11, 197-202.

-- The role of perceived life purpose was examined in relation to recovery from knee surgery in which patients had been diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis. A sample of 64 older adults who had total knee replacement surgery completed questionnaires at two weeks before surgery and again at six months after surgery. Purpose in life was measured with a 14-item scale designed to assess belief that one’s life is meaningful. Optimism and pessimism were assessed using the Life Orientation Test-Revised. The general emotionality subscale of the Scale of Emotional Arousability was used to assess emotionality. The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule was used to measure positive and negative affect. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed with the Mental Health Inventory. Finally, the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index was used to assess functional disability, pain, and stiffness due to osteoarthritis. Analyses revealed that life purpose was related to less anxiety, depression, negative affect, functional disability, and stiffness, and associated with more positive affect. When controlling for outcome expectancies and emotional arousability, life purpose remained related to less negative affect, depression, and anxiety, and also to more positive affect.  

Stempelova, J., & Cmarikova, A. [Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Trnava University, Hornopotocna 23, 918 43 Trnava, Slovak Republic; alexandracmarik@lycos.com]. (2004). Personality factors of the big five and self-esteem in existential analysis. Studia Psychologica, 46, 137-143.

-- Sixty male respondents (half being interested in theology), were administered the Existential Scale, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale. The first measure gauges the perception of a personally meaningful life, and is made up of Personality and Existentiality factors, which are then composed of Self-distance, Self-transcendence, Freedom, and Responsibility subscales. The second measure is a personality scale that assesses Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, whereas the third measure is a subjective assessment of one’s self-value. Analyses revealed that self-esteem was significantly negatively correlated with Neuroticism and positively correlated with Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Personality, and Existentiality. Analysis of Existential Scale factors and the total score indicated significant positive correlations with Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. The theology group scored significantly higher on the Extraversion and Agreeableness factors and on the Self-Esteem scale.

Stevens-Ratchford, R. [8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252; ratchgale@aol.com], & Lookingbill, J. (2004). Living well with arthritis: A phenomenological study of leisure occupations. Activities, Adaptation, and Aging, 28, 35-55.

-- Leisure occupations were examined in a sample of older adults with arthritis by using a phenomenological qualitative interviewing method. Leisure occupations are pleasurable, meaningful pursuits that are undertaken freely (e.g., cooking, dancing, reading). Data were gathered from 14 participants using the Occupational and Successful Aging Interview Guide, which is comprised of open-ended questions. The Life Satisfaction Index, the Global Life Satisfaction Scales, and the Quality of Life Scale were used as quantitative measures of successful aging. The Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to measure subjective pain. Phenomenological data analysis procedures were used to establish patterns of engagement in leisure occupations and successful aging. The first pattern described ways for people to continue participating in activities despite having arthritis, either by modifying the activity or involvement level, or by substituting one activity for another. The second pattern described using leisure occupations as a distraction from pain. Finally, the third pattern described how leisure occupations contribute to physical, cognitive, and emotional health.

Wells, J. N. B. [Harris School of Nursing, Texas Christian University, 2800 W. Bowie Street, Suite 214A, Fort Worth, TX 76109; j.wells@tcu.edu], & Marshall, D. (2004). Adapting a measure of Purpose-In-Life for Mexican American research. The Journal of Theory Construction and Testing, 8, 13-20.

-- This article’s purpose was to develop a version of the Purpose in Life test (PIL) for use with Mexican Americans. The authors began by simplifying the English version’s reading level and response format prior to having it translated by an independent bilingual Mexican American. The resulting Spanish version was back-translated into English by a second bilingual speaker to ensure equality between English and Spanish forms. The authors then conducted field studies with the target population and considered modifications. Forty Mexican-American women were administered the new Spanish version while 40 Caucasian women were given the Simplified English version. Results revealed no significant differences in purpose in life scores between the two samples. The Spanish and Simplified English version both yielded acceptable reliability coefficients. Exploratory factor analyses were performed, with eight factors extracted for the Spanish version and six factors for the Simplified English version. The authors concluded that while the PIL assesses meaningful constructs for each group, there may also be a unique configuration of purpose in life for each population.

Whitney, C. M. [Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106]. (2004). Maintaining the square: How older adults with Parkinson’s disease sustain quality in their lives. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 30, 28-35.

-- Interpretive phenomenology, a method of analyzing participant stories as a way of understanding human experience and how individuals give meaning to experiences, was used to gather information about practices that help sustain quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Twelve people with idiopathic PD were administered unstructured interviews, which were transcribed, read to gain an overall understanding, and then examined for emerging themes to be used as a framework for interpretation. Five themes emerged: Learning How (learning how to minimize symptoms and modify daily routines), Accepting Limitations (choosing to accept their circumstances), Seeking Knowledge (searching for knowledge to understand what is happening to the body), Engaging in Meaningful Experiences (finding purpose in activities), and Living for Today (focusing on current capabilities). Blending the themes creates a pattern termed Maintaining the Square, which is keeping up the appearance of being unaffected by PD and preserving a sense of self-identity. Implications for those who work with patients with PD are discussed.  

STEPHANIE WOOD [sswood@olemiss.edu] and TARA K. LUCHKIW [tkluchki@olemiss.edu] are graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Training Program in the Department of Psychology at The University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677, USA. The authors would like to acknowledge Stefan E. Schulenberg, Ph.D., for editing this article.