Individuals who perceive that they matter to others are likely to experience lower anxiety and depression levels. The effects of young adolescents' perceived mattering on their anxiety and depression levels were examined. Results indicated that female adolescents reported lower anxiety levels but greater depression levels than did male adolescents, perceived mattering was inversely related to adolescents' anxiety and depression levels, and the associations between mattering and anxiety and between mattering and depression varied by gender.

The “dark night” perspective describes the journey to spiritual enlightenment as entailing a crisis in which individuals confront the possibility that life is meaningless. In the study presented in this article, 85% of the participants rejected the dark night view. The authors discuss how counselors can help clients cope with a dark night crisis.