Meaning mediates the association between suffering and well-being

Edwards, Megan; Tongeren, Daryl R. Van

doi:10.1080/17439760.2019.1651890

Cited by 27 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Evidence regarding suffering in the context of COVID-19 pandemic is very limited. In a recent study, Edwards and Van Tongeren ( 2019 ) highlighted the mediating effect of meaning in life in the association between suffering and well-being outcomes. In particular, higher suffering was found to be associated with lower meaning in life, which, in turn, reduces satisfaction with life and increases anxiety, depression, and PTSD-related symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

Arslan

Yıldırım

Leung³

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Research Problem: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a multi-faceted crisis worldwide. Researchers and health authorities in various parts of the world echoed the dire condition of the public's mental health. This study sought to examine the mediating effect of personal meaning on the association between coronavirus (COVID-19)-related suffering, mental health problems, and life satisfaction. Participants included 231 adults (mean age = 46.65 ± 13.98; 68% female) and completed measures of suffering related to COVID-19, meaning, life satisfaction, and mental health problems online.Results: Findings from mediation analysis showed that suffering had significant associations with personal meaning, mental health, and well-being. Furthermore, personal meaning was significantly associated with adults' mental health and well-being and mediated the negative effect of suffering on mental health and well-being.Discussion: Overall, results from this study indicate that personal meaning is an important promotive factor that may help to understand the negative effect of coronavirus-related suffering on mental health and well-being amid the public health crisis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

Arslan

Yıldırım

Leung³

2021

Front. Psychol.

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“…Increased meaning salience also relates to increased motivation for participation in physical activity and decreased sensations of burnout and fatigue in doctors (Hooker, Post, & Sherman, 2020b). Furthermore, when meaning is salient it appears to decrease negative mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020) while increasing positive affect and one's ability to cope with stressors (Miao & Gan, 2019).…”

Section: Meaning Saliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is not surprising given that social distancing measures, in particular, are likely to directly affect many of the predictors of a meaningful life, including autonomy, competence, and beneficence (Martela & Ryan, 2016). Similarly, research suggests that those who are experiencing current suffering frequently have substantially lower levels of meaning in life and mental health (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020).…”

Section: Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, what happens when external circumstances take away one's ability to find meaning and improve well-being? Research suggests that those currently suffering experience significantly lower meaning in life (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020). At the same time, suffering increases the desire for meaning in life (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research suggests that those currently suffering experience significantly lower meaning in life (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020). At the same time, suffering increases the desire for meaning in life (Edwards & Van Tongeren, 2020). In a time of global pandemic, when people are asked to keep socially distant, what happens to one's well-being, and how can we prevent these potentially deleterious effects?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mental health in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal examination of the ameliorating effect of meaning salience

Klussman¹,

Nichols²,

Langer³

2021

Curr Psychol

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, various restrictions forced people around the world to socially isolate. People were asked to stay at home and were largely unable to do many of the activities that they derived meaning from. Since meaning is often related to mental health, these restrictions were likely to decrease mental health. The current study aimed to examine these effects and additionally benefit individuals' mental health by making their meaning salient. Specifically, the goal of the research was to design an intervention that could counter the potential negative effects of social distancing. We recruited a total of 96 U.S.A. residents (M age = 34.45, 92.7% Female) and assigned them to either the control group or to a meaning salience intervention. That is, participants either focused on the meaning of their daily activities (n = 45) or did not participate in any study-related activities during the week (n = 51). They completed various measures of mental health before and after this experimental period. Results suggested that the control group reported significantly greater anxiety, depression, and stress at the end of the week. In contrast, the experimental group reported less anxiety and trended toward less depression and stress at the end of that same week. In all, results suggest that simply focusing on one's daily activities and the meaning found in them protected people from the otherwise detrimental effects of the restrictions. This provides a promising and simple intervention that may assist both individuals and practitioners aiming to improve mental health, especially in challenging times.

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Counselling as a calling: Meaning in life and perceived self‐competence in counselling students

Hurst

Prescott

2021

Couns and Psychother Res

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Both meaning in life (MIL) and perceived self‐competence (PSC) have been linked to a sense of calling, and better well‐being. To the authors' knowledge, no study has examined MIL or PSC in counselling students. Current counselling students (N = 292) were asked whether studying counselling brought them MIL, and completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and an adapted Perceived Competence Scale for Counselling Students (PCS‐CS). Results showed that students with a higher sense of MIL had a higher level of PSC. Over 95% of participants found meaning in their study of counselling, implying that many found it to be a calling. The PCS‐CS was found to be reliable, and implications include its potential usefulness in future research on PSC in counselling populations. With MIL and PSC being linked to better workplace well‐being, this study implies that trainee counsellors have high levels of these protective factors, with further research warranted to establish whether this is also the case for counselling professionals.

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Meaning mediates the association between suffering and well-being

Cited by 27 publications

References 30 publications

Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

Mental health in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal examination of the ameliorating effect of meaning salience

Counselling as a calling: Meaning in life and perceived self‐competence in counselling students

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