The Meaning of Life and Religious Coping in the Fight Against Cancer: A Study with Oncology Patients in Brazil in Light of Viktor Frankl's Theory

This study aimed to describe the perception of the meaning of life and coping strategies of 19 patients with cancer at a public hospital in Brazil. This is descriptive and qualitative research that used Amedeo Giorgi's phenomenological model, and the interpretation was performed in light of Viktor Frankl's theory. Two themes have emerged: (1) the perception of the meaning of life in the experience with cancer and (2) religious coping to fight the disease. This study showed that revealing the meaning of life in the cancer experience contributes to better treatment compliance, a more favorable view of the future and better quality of life. On the other hand, religious coping is the strategy most used by patients who believe in God, showing a greater state of psychological and spiritual well-being.

Effects of meaning-based psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and death anxiety in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world which imposes numerous psychological burdens on the patients. Psycho-spiritual interventions such as meaning-based therapies may help decrease these challenges. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the effects of meaning-based psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and death anxiety of patients with cancer.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Proquest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched until 30 September 2023. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A random-effect model was preferred, and statistical analysis was performed by STATA software version 17.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies were included in the systematic review. Eleven articles examined the impact of meaning-based interventions on death anxiety and six articles examined post-traumatic growth in cancer patients. Ten studies with a total of 555 participants were included for analysis of the effect of logotherapy versus routine care on death anxiety. Analysis showed a significant decrease effect of logotherapy versus routine care on death anxiety (SMD, - 4.05 (- 6.20, - 1.90); I2, 98.38%). Three studies with a total of 364 participants were included for analysis of the effect of logotherapy versus routine care on post-traumatic growth in patients with cancer. Analysis showed a positive but non-significant effect of logotherapy versus routine care on post-traumatic growth (SMD, 2.05 (- 0.91, 5.01); I2, 99.08%).

CONCLUSION

The qualitative analysis showed the positive impact of meaning-based psychotherapy interventions on death anxiety and post-traumatic growth in cancer patients, but the results of the meta-analysis on post-traumatic growth were not statistically significant. The review shows the need for more clinical trial studies in larger and more diverse samples in terms of cancer types and cultural background.

The Place of Religiosity and Spirituality in Frankl's Logotherapy: Distinguishing Salvific and Hygienic Objectives

The relationship between psychology and religion has been widely debated in the field of psychology from its foundation as an empirical science to the present day. One author who was interested in the relationship between psychology and religion, the place of the latter in human nature, and its role in psychotherapy was the Viennese neurologist, psychiatrist, and philosopher Viktor Emil Frankl (1905-1997), the founder of logotherapy. This paper presents Frankl's main ideas about religion, the religious nature of the human being, and the relationship between religiosity, psychotherapy, and logotherapy, as well as a review of the main criticisms he has received in this regard. Frankl always defended the differences and limits between religion and psychotherapy, between the priestly cure of souls and the medical cure of souls, and between the salvific objective of religion and the hygienic objective of psychotherapy. In our opinion, critical authors have failed to appreciate Frankl's efforts to expose this distinction.

The effects of virtual logotherapy on health-promoting lifestyle among single-parent adolescent girls during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a randomized clinical trial

Single-parent adolescents are vulnerable individuals and it is necessary to improve their health, particularly during epidemics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of virtual logotherapy (VL) on health-promoting lifestyle (HPL) among single-parent adolescent girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. This single-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 88 single-parent adolescent girls recruited from the support organization for vulnerable individuals in Tehran, Iran. They were randomly allocated to a control and an intervention group through block randomization. Participants in the intervention group received VL in three-five person groups in 90 min biweekly sessions. The Adolescent Health Promotion Short-Form was used to assess HPL. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 26.0) and through the independent-sample t, Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests. There was no significant difference between the intervention and the control groups respecting the pretest mean score of HPL (73.58±16.74 vs. 72.80±9.30; P=0.085). However, the posttest mean score of HPL in the intervention group (82 with an interquartile range of 78-90) was significantly more than the control group (71.50 with an interquartile range of 63.25-84.50) (P=0.001). Moreover, after adjusting the effects of the significant between-group differences respecting pretest mean scores, the pretest-posttest differences of the mean scores of HPL and all its dimensions in the intervention group were significantly more than the control group (P<0.05). VL is effective in significantly improving HPL among single-parent adolescent girls. Healthcare authorities are recommended to use VL for health promotion among single-parent adolescents.Trial registrationThis research was registered (17/05/2020) in the www.thaiclinicaltrials.org with registration number: TCTR20200517001.

Online Mindfulness-Based Logotherapy Program: A Pilot Study Targeting Depressive Symptoms of Cyberbullied Adolescents During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the intensive use of the internet for educational and recreational purposes, leading adolescents to be more exposed to cyberbullying. Empirical studies indicate that cyberbullying has become a pervasive problem among adolescents causing negative consequences like depression. Moreover, the global pandemic lockdown and quarantine measures gave rise to the demand for telepsychology and teletherapy to virtually address the psychological needs of netizens. Thus, utilizing Conklin's program development model, we created and experimentally tested an online intervention program to target the depressive symptoms experienced by cyberbullied adolescents. We integrated logotherapy and mindfulness to develop an eight-modular, Online Mindfulness-based Logotherapy Program (OnlineMLP). After being validated by experts in various disciplines, we experimentally pilot tested the efficacy of the OnlineMLP in a 3-h session per module in four weeks to a group (N = 10) of cyberbullied adolescents in Tamilnadu, India. The pilot study showed significantly that the OnlineMLP had a positive effect on the participants reducing their depressive symptoms. Furthermore, it confirmed that the online program's concepts and structure are reliable, feasible, and efficacious for testing a more extensive base of cyberbullied adolescents experiencing depressive symptoms.

In search of logotherapy

In his authoritative and extraordinarily influential book Man's Search for Meaning, psychiatrist Viktor Frankl proposed that any individual's life task is to find meaning, that meaning cannot be obtained without suffering, and that suffering allows meaning to be identified. He also articulated his therapeutic model-logotherapy, the so-called third Viennese school of psychotherapy. This article contemplates why logotherapy currently has seemingly little salience and suggests that the most likely reasons reflect some components being taken over by other therapies and by tenets of positive psychology articulated in recent decades.

An Islamic Form of Logotherapy in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptoms in University Students in Iran

Previous research demonstrated that spiritually sensitive psychotherapy is an effective treatment for clients with depression or anxiety, with outcomes equivalent to secular control interventions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spiritually sensitive logotherapy intervention in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in university students in Iran. Sixty students with elevated depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II, BDI-II, 22 or greater) were randomly assigned to either a twelve-session group logotherapy programme or a control group. Results showed that spiritually sensitive logotherapy significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, and significantly more so than in the control group (e.g. interaction effect for BDI-II: F = 56.8, p < 0.001, with a large effect size).

Effects of Logotherapy-Based Mindfulness Intervention on Internet Addiction among Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background:

The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has seriously affected people’s work and lives. Disaster-related traumatic stress events increase the risk of substance abuse. Therefore, the COVID-19 outbreak, as a stress event, inevitably has a negative impact on Chinese adolescents with Internet addiction.

Methods:

In 2020, 1787 copies of the questionnaire were randomly distributed among adolescents aged 12–16 years in three communities in Shandong Province, China. Among the respondents, 121 Internet addicts voluntarily participated and were divided into the experiment group (60 members) and the control group (61 members). Logotherapy-based mindfulness intervention was carried out on the experiment group. The effects of the intervention were analyzed after eight weeks of intervention.

Results:

After the intervention, significant decreases occurred in the scores of Internet addiction and its five dimensions in the experiment group (P < 0.05), thereby implying better invention effects in the experiment group than the control group. The experiment group exhibited an increase in the positive coping score and a decrease in the negative coping score (P < 0.05). Significant decreases were found in the anxiety and depression scores in the experiment group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Logotherapy-based mindfulness intervention can significantly reduce the degree of Internet addiction among adolescents during the COVID-19 period, improve their positive emotions, reduce their negative emotions, and alleviate the degree of anxiety and depression in adolescents.

Comparative effectiveness of psychotherapy approaches on Death Anxiety in Multiple Sclerosis Patients. A pilot randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Death anxiety (DA) in chronic diseases has occupied the human mind more than other diseases. Therefore, multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are more prone to DA due to recurrence periods.

OBJECTIVE

Among the psychological interventions the two approaches of logotherapy (LT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), They pay more attention and concentration on the subject of suffering. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of these two approaches on DA in MS patients.

METHODS

The statistical population included 48 women who were diagnosed as MS patients and had medical records at Iran MS Society in Tehran, in terms of entry and exit criteria, which were selected by convenience sampling. Then they were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. This plan has an independent variable at three levels including: LT, ACT and the control group. The dependent variables are the subjects' scores on the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R) (Wong., Reker & Gesser, 1994). Therapeutic interventions included 12 sessions of 2 h per week. A 3-hour workshop was held for the control group. in which patients were provided with basic information about the psychological problems of MS, but no strategy was presented. In order to obtain the results, the analysis of covariance was used and in the follow-up study, repeated measures analysis of variance with an intergroup variable (mixed model) was used.

RESULTS

It showed that both LT and ACT groups were able to be effective and reduce DA in comparison with the control group and such a positive effect on the improvement of DA was evident both in the post-test and follow-up stages. However, no significant differences were observed in comparing the effectiveness of the two intervention methods, so both methods were effective in reducing DA due to the nature of suffering.

CONCLUSION

Considering the effectiveness of LT and ACT in reducing DA in MS patients, the results of this study can be used in order to achieve therapeutic goals and reduce psychological problems in chronic diseases.

The effects of psychological meaning-centered therapies on quality of life and psychological stress: A metaanalysis

ABSTRACTObjective:Many psychotherapists speak with clients about meaning in life. Meaning is an neutral evidence-based term for a subjective sense of purpose, values, understanding, self-worth, action-directed goals, and self-regulation. Since little is known about its effectiveness, our study aimed to determine the effects of meaning-centered therapies (MCTs) on improving quality of life and reducing psychological stress.

METHOD

Independent researchers selected and scored articles in multiple languages in multiple search engines. Weighted pooled mean effects were calculated following a random-effects model. Sensitivity analyses included moderators, study and sample characteristics, risk of bias, randomization, types of MCT, control condition, and outcome instruments.

RESULTS

Some 52,220 citations included 60 trials (total sample N = 3,713), of which 26 were randomized controlled trials (N = 1,975), 15 nonrandomized controlled trials (N = 709), and 19 nonrandomized noncontrolled trials with pre/post measurements (N = 1,029). Overall analyses showed large improvements from baseline to immediate posttreatment and follow-up on quality of life (Hedges' g = 1.13, SE = 0.12; g = 0.99, SE = 0.20) and psychological stress (g = 1.21, SE = 0.10; g = 0.67, SE = 0.20). As effects varied between studies, further analyses focused only on controlled trials: MCT had large effect sizes compared to control groups, both immediate and at follow-up, on quality of life (g = 1.02, SE = 0.06; g = 1.06, SE = 0.12) and psychological stress (g = 0.94, SE = 0.07, p < 0.01; g = 0.84, SE = 0.10). Immediate effects were larger for general quality of life (g = 1.37, SE = 0.12) than for meaning in life (g = 1.18, SE = 0.08), hope and optimism (g = 0.80, SE = 0.13), self-efficacy (g = 0.89, SE = 0.14), and social well-being (g = 0.81, SE = 13). The homogeneity of these results was validated by the lack of significance of moderators and alternative ways of selecting studies. Metaregression analyses showed that increases in meaning in life predicted decreases in psychological stress (β = -0.56, p < 0.001).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

MCT strongly improves quality of life and reduces psychological stress. MCT should be made more widely available, particularly to individuals in transitional moments in life or with a chronic or life-threatening physical illness as they explicitly report meaning-centered concerns.

Religiosity, Meaning in Life and Suicidal Tendency Among Jews

The study examines the impact that meaning in life, or lack thereof, has on suicidal tendencies among youth, as well as the nexus between level of religiosity, meaning in life and suicidal tendencies. Subjects were 450 students from both Jewish religious and Jewish secular schools aged 15-18.

FINDINGS

a significant and negative correlation was found between a sense of meaning in life and suicidal tendencies, beyond gender or level of religiosity. In addition, no difference was found in level of suicidal tendency between Jewish religious and Jewish secular youth; however, among Jewish religious teens, a lower level of depression was reported in comparison with their secular peers. The study therefore concludes that meaning in life is the dominant variable in minimizing suicidal tendencies among youth. The results of this study may promote the establishment of prevention, intervention and therapy plans, especially in the age range that is crucial for suicide. Such programs should be based upon finding meaning in life.

The Effect of Group Logotherapy on Meaning in Life and Depression Levels of Iranian Students

This paper identifies the effectiveness of group logotherapy in reducing depression and increasing meaning in life levels of university students in Iran. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a pre- post- and follow-up test design. The instruments used were the Purpose in Life (PIL) test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were collected from 10 subjects in an experimental group and 10 in a control group. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of group logotherapy, whilst the control group received no intervention. The mean scores for depression levels was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group and significantly higher in regard to meaning in life. Results suggest that group logotherapy has the potential to reduce depression levels and improve the meaning in life of university students.

Efficacy of group logotherapy on decreasing anxiety in women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most incident cancer and the fifth cause of death due to malignancies among Iranian women. A strong breast cancer patients' sense of meaning and purpose in life appears to decrease anxiety in their life. The present study has investigated the effectiveness of group Logotherapy on the reduction of anxiety in women with breast cancer.

METHODS

The research was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control group. For this purpose, 30 patients with breast cancer were randomly divided into two experimental group and control group. Then, all patients completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The experimental group received Logotherapy-based group counseling for eight sessions; however, the control group did not receive any specific training. In the end, both groups were tested again. After collecting the questionnaires, data was analyzed by the statistic software SPSS version 18 and using analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

The research results showed that group Logotherapy was effective in reducing anxiety in women with breast cancer (p<0.005). In other words, this intervention could reduce anxiety in the experimental group.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that in line with current medical treatment, psychosocial interventions can be used to reduce anxiety in the breast cancer patients.