Individual meaning in life assessed with the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation: toward a circumplex meaning model

Systematic review of search for meaning in life assessment tools: highlighting the need for a quest for significance scale

Objective

This systematic review aims to evaluate the adequacy of existing assessment tools in measuring the search for meaning in life and the quest for significance, with a focus on identifying gaps in capturing the quest for significance as a distinct construct.

Methodology

Following the PRISMA protocol, we conducted a comprehensive search across ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus, identifying 23 relevant studies. Methodological quality was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. A bibliometric analysis was also performed to explore research trends and collaboration patterns.

Key findings

While numerous instruments exist, none fully address the quest for significance as a standalone construct. Key limitations include insufficient differentiation between personal and social significance, lack of predictive validity, and limited cultural adaptability.

Conclusion and implications

The findings underscore the need for a dedicated Quest for Significance Scale to advance psychological research and practice. Future efforts should focus on developing robust, culturally adaptable instruments to better understand the quest for significance across diverse contexts.

Mediating effects of meaning in life on the relationship between family care, depression, and quality of life in Chinese older adults

Background

The study explored sources of meaning in older adults and the action path among family care, meaning in life, quality of life, and depression.

Materials and methods

We investigated 627 older adults using the Sources of Meaning in Life Scale for the Elderly (SMSE), the Family Care Index (APGAR), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10 (CES-D-10), and the EuroqOL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D).

Results

Scores categorized 454 older adults with good family function, 99 with moderate, and 47 with severe family dysfunction; 110 older adults had depression. The structural equation model showed that family care affected the quality of life and depression by influencing meaning, and depression had a significant negative effect on the quality of life (P < 0.05). The model was a good fit for the data (χ2/df = 3.300, SRMR = 0.0291, GFI = 0.975, IFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.952, CFI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.062).

Conclusion

Meaning in life is an intermediary factor that affects depression and quality of life in older adults. Family care had a significant positive impact on SMSE and a negative influence on depression. The SMSE effectively clarifies the sources of meaning in life and can be used to improve meaning and promote mental health in older adults.

Meaning in life and perceived quality of life in Switzerland: results of a representative survey in the German, French and Italian regions

BACKGROUND

The concept of meaning in life (MIL) has become a central one in recent years, particularly in psycho-oncology and palliative care. The Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMILE) has been developed to allow individuals to choose the life areas that they consider to be important for their own MIL. This approach relates to the "World Health Organisation" definition of quality of life (QOL) as an individual's perception of his own position. The aims of this study were (i) to assess MIL in a representative sample of the Swiss population according to the three linguistic regions and (ii) to evaluate whether MIL constitutes a significant determinant of the perceived QOL.

METHODS

A telephone survey of the Swiss population, performed by a professional survey company, was conducted between November and December 2013. The interview included the SMILE, perceived QOL (0-10) and health status (1-5), and various sociodemographic variables. In the SMILE, an index of weighting (IOW, 20-100), an index of satisfaction (IOS, 0-100), and a total SMILE index (IOWS, 0-100) are calculated from the areas mentioned by the participants as providing MIL.

RESULTS

Among the 6671 telephonic contacts realized, 1015 (15%) participants completed the survey: 405 French, 400 German and 210 Italian participants. "Family" (80.2%), "occupation/work" (51%), and "social relations" (43.3%) were the most cited MIL-relevant categories. Italian participants listed "health" more frequently than German and French participants (50.4% vs 31.5% and 24.8% respectively, χ(2) = 12.229, p = .002). Age, gender, education, employment, and marital status significantly influenced either the MIL scores or the MIL-relevant categories. Linear regression analyses indicate that 24.3% of the QOL variance (p = .000) is explained by health status (B = .609, IC = .490-.728, p = .000), MIL (B = .034, IC = .028-.041, p = .000) and socioeconomic status (F = 11.01, p = .000).

CONCLUSION

The major finding of our analysis highlights the positive and significant influence of MIL on the perceived QOL in a representative sample of a general, multilingual and multicultural population. This result indicates that the existential dimension is not only determinant for QOL in some critical life events, as shown e.g. in psycho-oncology and palliative care, but also in everyday life.