The International Forum for Logotherapy, 2011, 34, 115-126.

Recent Publications of Interest to Logotherapists

Stephanie W. Campbell, Brandy J. Baczwaski, & Jennifer M. Ladner

Ardelt, M. [ardelt@soc.ufl.edu], & Koenig, C. S. (2007). The importance of religious orientation and purpose in life for dying well: Evidence from three case studies. Journal of Religion, Spirituality, & Aging, 19, 61-79.

-- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three White males in hospice care (ages 79, 80, and 98) who were given a prognosis of 6 months or less to live. Interviews included questions pertaining to religion/spirituality, good/bad life experiences, and attitudes about death/dying. The qualitative interviews were analyzed using the method of objective hermeneutics. Results showed that an intrinsic religious orientation (deep religious commitment) as opposed to an extrinsic religious orientation (practiced for intellectual stimulation, to increase standing, earn a living, habitual) was associated with subjective well-being at the end of life.  

Arman, M. [maria.arman@ki.se], & Backman, M. (2007). A longitudinal study on women’s experiences of life with breast cancer in anthroposophical (complementary) and conventional care. European Journal of Cancer Care, 16, 444-450.

-- Complementary and alternative (CAM) care which includes conventional care as well as nursing care, art/body therapies, and natural remedies was compared to conventional care among 74 women (37 matched pairs) with breast cancer. Qualitative data from interviews were coded into meaning categories including relationships, recreation, profession, nature, ordinary activity (such as cooking or cleaning), personal development, and meaning in nothing. At admission, common responses from both groups were meaning in ordinary activity, recreation, and relationships. At one year follow-up, both groups frequently responded with meaning in relationships and profession. The conventional care group also found meaning in recreation while the CAM group found meaning in ordinary activity. Altogether, the authors concluded that although both groups reported an increase in meaning, the women seeking CAM reported greater meaning in more categories at follow-up than those seeking conventional care.

Byrd, K. R. [byrdk@columbus.rr.com]. (2007). Intrinsic motivation and subjective well-being: The unique contribution of intrinsic religious motivation. International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 17, 141-156.

-- Undergraduate students (N = 161) completed the Religious Orientation Scale-Revised, Work Preference Inventory, Intrinsic Leisure Motivation Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Purpose in Life (PIL) test, Personal Efficacy Scale, and Negative Affect scale. Results showed that Intrinsic Religious Motivation (IRM) (religion as a primary reinforcer) was not related to Intrinsic Work Motivation (IWM) or Intrinsic Leisure Motivation (ILM), while IWM and ILM were significantly related. Regression analyses revealed that IRM was a significant predictor of self-efficacy, satisfaction with life, and purpose in life, but not negative affect. IRM was a stronger predictor of subjective well-being than ILM and IWM, which was interpreted to mean that IRM enhances subjective well-being independent from IWM and ILM.

Cadell, S. [scadell@wlu.ca], & Marshall, S. (2007). The (re)construction of self after the death of a partner to HIV/AIDS. Death Studies, 31, 537-548.

-- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants who had been both partners and caregivers to someone who had died from HIV/AIDS-related causes (time since death being 1-10 years). The interviews were coded via open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Analyses revealed several patterns including: a) the deceased partner described as part of the caregiver’s identity; b) the caregiver putting own needs secondary; c) the caregiver attempting to manage everything controllable; d) a crisis of meaning upon the death of the partner surrounding a loss of identity (both the loss of the partner and caregiver role); e) the caregiver recreating identity; f) the caregiver finding meaning in the caregiver role; g) the caregiver discovering personal strength; and h) the caregiver finding strength through other service roles. Overall, participants showed a loss of meaning upon the death of their partners and the loss of the caregiver role, which was remedied upon “making sense” of the relationship and the caregiver role.       

Ellor, J. W. [james_ellor@baylor.edu], & Myers, D. R. (2007). Logotherapy and depression: Implications for intervention with older adults. Counseling and Spirituality, 26, 153-170.

-- A theoretical approach to therapeutic intervention with older adults that addresses depression and enhances perceived life meaning was explained. Three tenets discussed included time, space, and transcendence. Older adults tend to focus on past events and are encouraged to focus on the present and future. Depression can result from feeling unable to do many things at once or being unable to attend events because of impairments or location. Clients learn that no one can be omnipresent and that aging is normal. When physical impairments develop, the focus can become on the self and one’s own needs. In order to achieve transcendence, clients engage in opportunities to care for others and shift the focus outward. Values and attitude play an important role such that one has a choice to change an attitude toward life. Finally, the authors noted that the therapist cannot give meaning to the client but can teach the skills to discover it.

Halama, P. [peter.halama@savba.sk], & Dĕdová, M. (2007). Meaning in life and hope as predictors of positive mental health: Do they explain residual variance not predicted by personality traits? Studia Psychologica, 49, 191-200.

-- Participants were 148 adolescents (mean age = 18.84; 75 females) who completed questionnaires consisting of the Life Meaningfulness Scale, the Hope Scale, the NEO Five Factor Inventory, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale. The purpose was to examine whether meaning in life and hope could account for variance associated with self-esteem and life satisfaction not explained by personality traits. Life satisfaction was found to be positively correlated with extroversion and agreeableness. Meaningfulness and hope were positively correlated with life satisfaction and self-esteem. A hierarchical regression showed that low neuroticism and high conscientiousness and meaningfulness were significant predictors of high life satisfaction. Low neuroticism and high extroversion, conscientiousness,  hope, and  meaningfulness were significant predictors of high self-esteem. 

Hamilton, N. A. [nancyh@ku.edu], Nelson, C. A., Stevens, N., & Kitzman, H. (2007). Sleep and psychological well-being. Social Indicators Research, 82, 147-163.

-- The Psychological Well-Being Scale (including Self-Acceptance, Positive Relations with Others, Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, and Purpose in Life subscales), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version, one item assessing sleep from the Personal Health Behavior Survey, and the Beck Depression Inventory were given to 507 participants. After controlling for depression, optimal sleep (6 to 8½ hours/night) was significantly associated with greater self-acceptance, positive relations with others, and purpose in life. In addition, optimal sleep was significantly associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Hicks, J. A.  [jahwb3@mizzou.edu], & King, L. A. (2007). Meaning in life and seeing the big picture: Positive affect and global focus. Cognition and Emotion, 21, 1577-1584.

-- Undergraduate students (N = 172) completed measures of positive affect (PA), meaning in life, and global focus (attention to larger context versus immediate context). Data were analyzed to investigate whether global focus served as a moderator or mediator in the relationship between PA and meaning in life. PA correlated with global focus and meaning in life, but global focus and meaning in life were not correlated, suggesting that global focus did not mediate between PA and meaning in life. A hierarchical regression indicated that global focus moderated the relationship between PA and meaning in life such that people with higher global focus are less likely to use PA as a basis for meaning in life judgments.

Iwasaki, Y. [yiwasaki@temple.edu]. (2007). Leisure and quality of life in an international and multicultural context: What are major pathways linking leisure to quality of life? Social Indicators Research, 82, 233-264.

-- Literature was synthesized on how leisure activities are related to quality of life in various cultures. Considering culture with quality of life is important since different cultures find different sources of meaning. Asian, Middle Eastern, Western, and Indigenous populations were examined. Among these cultures, leisure activities are important and provide benefits such as improved self-efficacy, self-esteem, social support, and serve as protective factors against depression and stress. Elements that link leisure to quality of life include positive emotions and well-being, positive identity and self-esteem, social and cultural connection, human strength/resilience, quest for meaning, and lifespan development. The combined literature supports the notion that leisure activities play an important role in quality of life.

Jaarsma, T. A. [tjaarsma@med.umcg.nl], Pool, G., Ranchor, A. V., & Sanderman, R. (2007). The concept and measurement of meaning in life in Dutch cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology, 16, 241-248.

-- Psychometric properties of a Dutch translation of the Personal Meaning Profile (PMP-DV) were examined in a sample of 294 cancer patients. The original PMP was proposed to consist of 57 items comprising seven factors: religion, achievement, relationship, self-transcendence, self-acceptance, intimacy, and fair treatment. Factor analysis of the PMP-DV revealed a scale containing 39 of the original 57 items, with the following five factors: relation with God, dedication to life, fairness of life, goal-orientedness, and relation with other people. Cronbach’s alpha for scores from the entire scale was .91, with reliability for scores from each of the subscales being .80 or higher. The total PMP-DV score was positively correlated with measures of innerness, posttraumatic growth, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. The total PMP-DV score negatively correlated with feelings of anxiety, depression, and age. The authors suggested that cancer patients may be more likely than non-cancer patients to search for meaning in life, and cultural differences between the two samples, in addition to the instability of the “intimacy” and “relationship” factors previously reported, may contribute to the differing factor structure.       

Jim, H. S., & Andersen, B. L. [Andersen.l@osu.edu]. (2007). Meaning in life mediates the relationship between social and physical functioning and distress in cancer survivors. British Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 363-381.

-- Two studies assessed for meaning as a mediator of distress among cancer survivors. A cross-sectional study of 420 survivors completed the Meaning in Life Scale, Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form, and Profile of Mood States-Short Form. Regression analyses found that meaning in life is a partial mediator between cancer and distress. A longitudinal study included 167 female survivors. After treatment, women were assessed for physical and social functioning at 18 months, meaning in life at 24 months, and distress at 30 months. Path analysis showed that meaning in life mediated the effects of social and functional distress. Additionally, the relationship between physical functioning and distress was partially mediated by meaning in life. Overall, results showed that with cancer survivors, lower overall functioning is related to not finding or maintaining meaning in life.

Kállay, E. [evakallay@psychology.ro], & Miclea, M. (2007). The role of meaning in life in adaption to life-threatening illness. Cognition, Brain, Behavior, 11, 159-174.

-- Participants were 63 patients diagnosed with cancer who completed a packet of questionnaires containing the Beck Depression Inventory, the Profile of Mood States, the Brief COPE, and the Life Regard Index. Participants were categorized as those who perceived meaning in their lives and those who did not. Participants who perceived meaning experienced fewer negative emotions, more positive emotions, and were more likely to engage in specific and adaptive coping skills (e.g., reinterpreting events more positively, attempting to change things that may be changed), whereas those who did not perceive meaning were more likely to engage in maladaptive coping behaviors (e.g., behavioral disengagement, passive responding).

Kashdan, T. B. [tkashdan@gmu.edu], & Steger, M. F. (2007). Curiosity and pathways to well-being and meaning in life: Traits, states, and everyday behaviors. Motivation and Emotion, 31, 159-173.

-- A sample of 97 participants completed the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and a 25-item measure of Big Five personality traits. The respondents then completed daily ratings for three weeks using four items from the CEI, a 14-item growth-oriented and hedonistic behavior checklist, questions asking whether their life is meaningful and how much purpose their life has, two questions assessing pleasure derived from food and sexual activity, and a rating of positive affect. Analyses showed that people high in trait curiosity reported more frequent growth-oriented behaviors, greater meaning, and greater satisfaction on days they experienced particularly high curiosity. Greater trait and daily curiosity was significantly related to greater presence of and search for meaning. This relationship could not be attributed to the Big Five personality traits or to daily affect ratings, indicating that curiosity may be uniquely related to meaning.

Krause, N. [nkrause@umich.edu]. (2007). Evaluating the stress-buffering function of meaning in life among older people. Journal of Aging and Health, 19, 792-812.

-- A longitudinal study collected data from participants in five intervals. Data from Waves 4 and 5 consisted of 1,478 interviews of adults aged 65 years or older. Interviews assessed depressed affect, somatic symptoms, meaning in life, and lifetime trauma. Analyses showed that people who indicated a strong sense of meaning tended to experience fewer symptoms of depressed affect and fewer somatic symptoms. Higher numbers of traumatic life events were associated with a more depressed affect when participants had low sense of meaning in life, particularly when participants lacked the aspects of meaning that involve having goals and a specific life purpose.

Krause, N. [nkrause@umich.edu]. (2007). Longitudinal study of social support and meaning in life. Psychology and Aging, 22, 456-469.

-- Adults (N = 959) answered questions related to meaning and social support which included negative interaction, enacted support (informational, emotional, and tangible support), and anticipated support. Interviews were given periodically over 13 years. Over time, anticipated support was most strongly related to meaning. Enacted support was also related to meaning with emotional support as most important. Mixed results were found regarding negative interaction. At baseline, negative interaction related to low meaning but at the final interview, negative interaction related to high meaning. Results also provided preliminary validity support for both measures of meaning and social support.

Krause, N. [nkrause@umich.edu]. (2007). Self-expression and depressive symptoms in late life. Research on Aging, 29, 187-206.

-- A sample of 1,073 older adults (mean age = 74.72) were interviewed as part of a longitudinal study meant to examine the relationship between self-expression and depressive symptoms in late life via a latent-variable model. The data were analyzed using the statistical program LISREL and four key findings were noted: a) greater levels of self-expression were associated with higher levels of education; b) greater self-expression was associated with a greater likelihood of having meaning in life; c) meaning in life was associated with a greater likelihood of feeling grateful; and d) those who reported feeling grateful were less likely to report experiencing symptoms of depression.

Krause, N. [nkrause@umich.edu]. (2007). Thought suppression and meaning in life: A longitudinal investigation. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 64, 67-82.

-- A sample of 988 adults was interviewed as part of a longitudinal study. Thought suppression, the ability to block out a particular thought, was measured by the White Bear Suppression Inventory, and meaning in life was measured by a scale developed by the author. Data analysis showed that greater difficulty suppressing thoughts was associated with a decline in meaning over time. The relationship was such that those who had no difficulty suppressing thoughts tended to have an increase in meaning in life, those with average difficulty trended toward a slight loss of meaning, and those with greater difficulty trended toward a large decline in meaning.

Litwinczuk, K. M., & Groh, C. J. [grohcj@udmercy.edu]. (2007). The relationship between spirituality, purpose in life, and well-being in HIV-positive persons. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 18, 13-22.

-- A sample of 46 HIV-positive individuals completed the Spirituality Involvement and Beliefs Scale-Revised, Purpose in Life (PIL) test, and General Well-Being Schedule. The sample was divided into two groups based on length of time since diagnosis (greater than 10 years n = 15, less than 10 years n = 31). Analysis showed those diagnosed with HIV longer had significantly higher well-being scores than those diagnosed less than ten years prior. Other results showed that spirituality was significantly correlated with purpose in life but not well-being. The authors interpreted their findings to suggest that meaning develops over time among those with HIV, and that meaning and spirituality are important elements for caregivers to consider when treating those with this condition.

Mount, B. M. [balfour.mount@mcgill.ca], Boston, P. H., & Cohen, S. R. (2007). Healing connections: On moving from suffering to a sense of well-being. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 33, 372-388.

-- Interviews were conducted with 13 participants diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, using I. E. Seidman’s approach to phenomenological interviewing. Participants were chosen based on their current quality of life and were placed into either a suffering/anguish group or an integrity/ wholeness group. Data were analyzed to search for themes among the two groups. Themes common to the suffering/anguish group included sense of disconnection, crisis of meaning, inability to find peace, preoccupation with the past/future, sense of victimization, and need to be in control. Themes common to the integrity/wholeness group included sense of connection, finding meaning in suffering, finding peace in the present moment, less of a need for control, greater acceptance of their illness, and ability to choose one’s attitude. 

Pan, J. [jiayan@hkusua.hku.hk], Wong, D. F. K., Joubert, L., & Chan, C. L. W. (2007). Acculturative stressor and meaning of life as predictors of negative affect in acculturation: A cross-cultural comparative study between Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 740-750.

-- A total of 627 Chinese students (400 in Hong Kong, 227 in Australia) completed the Acculturative Stressor Scale for Chinese Students, Chinese Personal Meaning Profile, and Chinese Affect Scale. Students in Australia had significantly higher acculturative stressors and negative affect and lower meaning than those in Hong Kong. Regression analyses showed that acculturative stressors like language deficit were predictive of negative affect. For those in Hong Kong, meaning partially mediated between acculturative stressors and negative affect while there was no effect in the Australian group. Overall, students studying abroad may be at risk for acculturative stress, especially if a language barrier is present.

Rathi, N. [neerishere@yahoo.co.in], & Rastogi, R. (2007). Meaning in life and psychological well-being in pre-adolescents and adolescents. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 33, 31-38.

-- A total of 104 students in grades 9 and 12 were administered the Personal Meaning Profile and the Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale. Age and gender differences were examined. Overall, results indicated that pre-adolescents exhibited higher levels of meaning than adolescents, and females tended to report higher levels of meaning than males.

Roberts, M. [marcwarenroberts@aol.com]. (2007). Modernity, mental illness and the crisis of meaning. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 14, 277-281.

-- Philosophical viewpoints of Thomas Szasz, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Viktor Frankl were compared regarding the erosion of traditional societal norms and the relation to mental illness. Szasz argued that mental illness is a deviation from a norm arbitrarily created by society, while Nietzsche felt that the lack of faith in God creates an existential crisis. When in this crisis, people cannot find a reason to live, which, according to Nietzsche, will lead to madness. The author emphasized that Frankl viewed mental illnesses (e.g., depression and anxiety) as stemming from an existential vacuum, and that a logotherapeutic response to mental illness would reorient people to the purpose of their existence and help them arrive at conclusions regarding how they will live.

Robinson, E. A. R. [earrobin@umich.edu], Cranford, J. A., Webb, J. R., & Brower, K. J. (2007). Six-month changes in spirituality, religiousness, and heavy drinking in a treatment-seeking sample. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68, 282-290.

-- A sample of 123 participants diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence who had enrolled in outpatient treatment completed the Timeline Followback Interview. This interview provided baseline drinking behavior over the 90 days prior to the study start date. Participants also completed the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness and Spirituality (which contained items used to asses values, meaning, beliefs, and forgiveness, among other constructs), Loving and Controlling God Scales, Religious Background and Behaviors scale, Daily Spiritual Experiences measure, Positive and Negative Religious Coping scales, Alcoholics Anonymous Involvement Scale, and Purpose in Life (PIL) test. Alcohol use and consequences significantly decreased at six-month follow-up. Scores on the PIL significantly increased after six months and greater increases in PIL scores predicted significantly lower odds of drinking heavily at six months.

Rothman, E. F. [emfaith@aol.com], Hathaway, J., Stidsen, A., & de Vries, H. F. (2007). How employment helps female victims of intimate partner violence: A qualitative study. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 136-143.

-- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 females who had received assistance for intimate partner violence. Topics included ways employment helped survivors cope with abuse, and responses were coded. Analyses revealed six ways that employment was beneficial: a) improving finances; b) promoting physical safety; c) increasing self-esteem; d) improving social connectedness; e) providing mental respite; and f) providing a purpose in life. With regard to life purpose, participants indicated that a job gave them a reason to get out of bed in the morning, it made them feel good to interact with and help others, and it gave them a place to be themselves.

Somov, P. G. [psclinical@hotmail.com]. (2007). Meaning of life group: Group application of logotherapy for substance use treatment. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 32, 316-345.

-- A logotherapy group curriculum was developed for use within a correctional substance abuse program with inmates. The group sessions focused on eight main themes: a) meaning of meaninglessness; b) meaning of adversity; c) meaning of self; d) meaning of presence; e) meaning of death; f) meaning of freedom; g) meaning of substance use; and h) meaning of transition. Within these themes, group members and facilitators explored meaning in suffering, discovery of the ideal self, transcendence, and values, among other topics. Although no quantitative evaluation was completed, most participants reported that it was one of the most useful components of the larger correctional substance abuse curriculum.

Steger, M. F. [mfsteg01@louisville.edu]. (2007). Structural validity of the Life Regard Index. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 40, 97-109.

-- A sample of 334 undergraduate students completed the Life Regard Index.  A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test four factor models suggested by the original authors of the measure. The CFA analyses failed to support the models. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Results suggested the presence of three factors. Factor 1 included items assessing meaning in life, passion, and general contentment with life. Factor 2 included items relating to a lack of clarity with regard to values, and factor 3 included items relating to a lack of clarity with regard to life goals.  

Steger, M. F. [michael_f_steger@yahoo.com], & Kashdan, T. B. (2007). Stability and specificity of meaning in life and life satisfaction over one year. Journal of Happiness Studies, 8, 161-179.

-- Undergraduate students (N = 82) completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Scale at baseline and at follow up after approximately 13 months. Results indicated stability over time for presence of and search for meaning and life satisfaction scores. Multiple regressions supported the specificity of the three variables over time. Overall, results showed that people who have high presence of meaning and satisfaction with life are less likely to have high search for meaning, whereas high search for meaning was not associated with high presence of meaning or life satisfaction.

Talseth, A.-G. [anne.g.talseth@hitos.no], & Gilje, F. (2007). Unburdening suffering: Responses of psychiatrists to patients’ suicide deaths. Nursing Ethics, 14, 620-636.

-- A subset of five narrative interviews given by psychiatrists employed at a psychiatric hospital was taken from a larger sample. The interviews focused on participants’ experiences with a patient’s suicidal death and were then coded. The main theme extracted was unburdening grief, which reflected ways of processing the death via six other themes including: a) being professionally responsible in the midst of vulnerability; b) becoming open to self and others; c) inner dialoguing with self through knowing, reasoning, and valuing; d) outer dialoguing with others via communication and elaboration; e) being true to self; and f) unburdening grief through shifting perspectives. In all cases, the psychiatrists were able to find meaning in their own suffering, in the suffering of their patients, and in the suffering of the patients’ survivors.

Thompson, P. [pt@moravian.edu]. (2007). The relationship of fatigue and meaning in life in breast cancer survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34, 653-660.

-- The Piper Fatigue Scale, the Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R; with purpose, coherence, responsibleness, death acceptance, existential vacuum, and goal-seeking dimensions, comprising the Personal Meaning Index and Existential Transcendence composites), the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form measuring psychological and physical symptoms, and the Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form 36 were given to 34 women who had recently completed treatment for breast cancer. With regard to meaning, survivors aged 50-59 scored higher on the Personal Meaning Index of the LAP-R than did those aged 36-49. Women with stage II breast cancer scored significantly lower on the existential vacuum dimension (indicating a more severe lack of meaning) than did those with stage III or IV cancer. Women who completed their last treatment in the previous 6 months scored higher on the existential vacuum dimension than those who were 7 to 12 months post treatment. Finally, there was a significant negative correlation between psychological symptom distress and the purpose dimension of the LAP-R, indicating that as psychological symptoms increase, reported meaning decreases.

Tsenkova, V. K. [tsenkova@wisc.edu], Love, G. D., Singer, B. H., & Ryff, C. D. (2007). Socioeconomic status and psychological well-being predict cross-time change in glycosylated hemoglobin in older women without diabetes. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69, 777-784.

-- Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) is a measure of glycemic control important in diabetes and cardiovascular health. Higher levels of HbA_1c have been associated with an increased risk of health complications. This study examined socioeconomic status (SES) and psychological well-being as predictors of HbA_1c levels over time. Participants were 97 females, 61-91 years of age, without diabetes, who were tested at baseline and at a two year follow-up. Blood samples were obtained to determine HbA_1c levels, a health history was taken, and self-report measures were completed to assess SES and well-being at both time points. After controlling for baseline HbA_1c and health factors, results showed that low SES was a significant predictor of high levels of HbA_1c over time and positive affect was a significant predictor of low levels of HbA_1c over time. Purpose in life, personal growth, and positive affect moderated the relationship between HbA_1c levels and SES, such that lower positive affect, purpose in life, and personal growth were associated with increased HbA_1c for people with low SES.

Turner, N. [niall.turner@sjog.ie], Jackson, D., Renwick, L., Sutton, M., Foley, S., McWilliams, S., Kinsella, A., & O’Callaghan, E. (2007). What influences purpose in life in first-episode psychosis? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70, 401-406.

-- The Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and the Purpose in Life test (PIL) were given to 54 participants with first-episode psychosis. Regression analyses revealed that longer periods of untreated psychosis were significantly associated with lower PIL scores. The authors argued that this relationship between untreated psychosis and decreased purpose emphasizes the need for intervention as soon as psychosis is detected. Intervention should focus on developing social networks, goals, and a sense of purpose.

Wang, M. [mcwang@memphis.edu], Lightsey, O. R., Pietruszka, T., Uruk, A. C., & Wells, A. G. (2007). Purpose in life and reasons for living as mediators of the relationship between stress, coping, and suicidal behavior. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 195-204.

-- A sample of 416 undergraduate students completed the Life Experiences Survey, Coping Inventory of Stressful Situations, Purpose in Life Subscale of the Psychological Well-being Scale, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, and Reasons for Living Inventory for Young Adults. Fifty-four students endorsing suicidality were compared to 54 students not endorsing suicidality. All participants tended to use emotion-oriented coping styles to cope with stress, which were related to increased levels of depression and reduced reasons for living. Purpose in life and reasons for living were related to lower suicidality and depression. These results suggest that treatment techniques for depressive symptoms and/or suicidality should include enhancing purpose in life and reasons for living.

Yakushko, O. [oyakushko2@unl.edu]. (2007). Do feminist women feel better about their lives? Examining patterns of feminist identity development and women’s subjective well-being. Sex Roles, 57, 223-234.

-- An online survey containing the Feminist Identity Composite, the Scales of Psychological Well Being (SPWB; including Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Personal Growth, Positive Relations with Others, Self-Acceptance, and Purpose in Life subscales), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale was taken by 691 women. In order to determine patterns of identity development, cluster analyses were completed. Three clusters were revealed: Women with Feminist Values (WFV), Women with Moderate Values (WMV), and Women with Traditional Values (WTV). With regard to meaning, WTV had significantly lower scores on the Purpose in Life subscale of the SPWB in comparison to WFV. WTV had significantly lower total SPWB scores than did women in the other two groups.

Stephanie W. Campbell [sswood@olemiss.edu], Brandy J. Baczwaski [bbaczwas@olemiss.edu], and Jennifer M. Ladner [jmladner@olemiss.edu] are graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Training Program in The University of Mississippi’s Psychology Department, University, Mississippi 38677, USA. The authors would like to acknowledge Stefan E. Schulenberg, Ph.D., for editing this article.