Exploring Life Meaningfulness and Its Psychosocial Correlates among Recovering Substance Users – An Indian Perspective
The present study was done primarily to address two major research gaps: firstly, development of an empirical measure of life meaningfulness for substance users and secondly, to determine the psychosocial determinants of life meaningfulness among the substance users. The study is classified into two phases: the first phase which dealt with development of Life Meaningfulness Scale and the second phase which examined the relationship between life meaningfulness and social support, abstinence self efficacy and depression. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for framing items. A Principal Component Analysis yielded three components: Overall Goal Directedness, Striving for healthy lifestyle and Concern for loved ones which collectively accounted for 42.06% of the total variance. The scale and its subscales were also found to be highly reliable. Multiple regression analyses in the second phase of the study revealed that social support and abstinence self efficacy significantly predicted life meaningfulness among 48 recovering inmates of a de-addiction center while level of depression failed to predict life meaningfulness.
[1] Frankl, V. E. (1959).Man-s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to
Logotherapy. Beacon. Boston.
[2] Harlow, L. L., Newcomb, M. D., & Bentler, P. M. (1986). Depression,
self derogation, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation: Lack of
purpose in life as a mediational factor. Journal of Clinical Psychology,
42, 5-21.
[3] Jim, H.S., Purnell, J.Q.,Richardson, S.A., Kreutz, D.G. & Andersen,
B.(2006). Measuring meaning in life following cancer. Qualitative
Life Research, 15(8), 1355-1371.
[4] Fife,B.L. (1994). The conceptualization of meaning in illness.Social
Science Medicine,38(2), 309-316.
[5] Chen, G. (2006). Social Support, Spiritual Program, and Addiction
Recovery. International Journal Offender Therapy and
comparitive Criminology,50, 306.
[6] Wolf,Y., Katz, S., & Nachson, I. (1995). Meaning of life as perceived by
drug drug-abusing people. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 39, 121-137.
[7] Carroll, S. (1993). Spirituality and purpose in life in alcoholism
recovery. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 54, 297-301.
[8] Majer, J. M. (1992). Assessing the logotherapeutic value of 12step
therapy. International Forum for Logotherapy, 15, 86-89.
[9] Gruner, L. (1984).Heroin, Hashish, and Hallelujah: The Search for
Meaning. Review of Religious Research, 26(2), 176-186.
[10] Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006).The Meaning in
Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in
life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80-93.
[11] Battista, J., & Almond, R. (1973). The development of meaning in life.
Psychiatry, 36, 409-427.
[12] Reker, G. T., & Wong. P. T. P. (1988). Aging as an individual process:
Toward a theory of personal meaning. In J. E. Birren & V. L.Bengston
(Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 214-246). New York: Springer.
[13] Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health.
Psychological Inquiry, 9, 1-28.
[14] Klinger, E. (1977). Meaning and void. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press.
[15] Kenyon, G. M. (2000). Philosophical foundations of existential
meaning.In G. T. Reker & K. Chamberlain (Eds.), Exploring existential
meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span (pp. 7-
22). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[16] McAdams, D. P. (1993). The stories we live by: Personal myths and the
making of the self. New York: Morrow.
[17] Maddi, S. R. (1970). The search for meaning. In M. Page(Ed.),Nebraska
Symposium on Motivation (pp. 137-186). Lincoln: University
of Nebraska Press.
[18] Allport, G. W. (1961). Pattern and growth in personality. New York:
Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
[19] Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness. New York: Free Press.
[20] Skrabski, A., Kopp,M., Rozsa S., Rethelyi,J., Rahe,R.H. (2005).
[21] Life Meaning: An Important Correlate of Health in the Hungarian
Population. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12,278-85.
[22] Schulz, U., & Schwarzer R.(2003). Soziale Unterst├╝tzung bei der
Krankheitsbewältigung. Die Berliner Social Support Skalen
(BSSS)[Social support in coping with illness: The Berlin Social
Support Scales (BSSS)]. Diagnostica, 49, 73-82.
[23] DiClemente, C.C., Carbonari, J.P., Montgomery, R.P.G. & Hughes,
S.O. (1994). The Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale. Journal of
Studies on Alcohol, 55, 141-148.
[24] Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F. (1995). Manual for the Depression
Anxiety Stress Scales. (2nd. Ed.) Sydney: Psychology Foundation.
[25] Maddi, S. R. (1967). The Existential Neurosis. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 72(4), 311-325.
[1] Frankl, V. E. (1959).Man-s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to
Logotherapy. Beacon. Boston.
[2] Harlow, L. L., Newcomb, M. D., & Bentler, P. M. (1986). Depression,
self derogation, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation: Lack of
purpose in life as a mediational factor. Journal of Clinical Psychology,
42, 5-21.
[3] Jim, H.S., Purnell, J.Q.,Richardson, S.A., Kreutz, D.G. & Andersen,
B.(2006). Measuring meaning in life following cancer. Qualitative
Life Research, 15(8), 1355-1371.
[4] Fife,B.L. (1994). The conceptualization of meaning in illness.Social
Science Medicine,38(2), 309-316.
[5] Chen, G. (2006). Social Support, Spiritual Program, and Addiction
Recovery. International Journal Offender Therapy and
comparitive Criminology,50, 306.
[6] Wolf,Y., Katz, S., & Nachson, I. (1995). Meaning of life as perceived by
drug drug-abusing people. International Journal of Offender Therapy
and Comparative Criminology, 39, 121-137.
[7] Carroll, S. (1993). Spirituality and purpose in life in alcoholism
recovery. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 54, 297-301.
[8] Majer, J. M. (1992). Assessing the logotherapeutic value of 12step
therapy. International Forum for Logotherapy, 15, 86-89.
[9] Gruner, L. (1984).Heroin, Hashish, and Hallelujah: The Search for
Meaning. Review of Religious Research, 26(2), 176-186.
[10] Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006).The Meaning in
Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in
life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 80-93.
[11] Battista, J., & Almond, R. (1973). The development of meaning in life.
Psychiatry, 36, 409-427.
[12] Reker, G. T., & Wong. P. T. P. (1988). Aging as an individual process:
Toward a theory of personal meaning. In J. E. Birren & V. L.Bengston
(Eds.), Emergent theories of aging (pp. 214-246). New York: Springer.
[13] Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health.
Psychological Inquiry, 9, 1-28.
[14] Klinger, E. (1977). Meaning and void. Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press.
[15] Kenyon, G. M. (2000). Philosophical foundations of existential
meaning.In G. T. Reker & K. Chamberlain (Eds.), Exploring existential
meaning: Optimizing human development across the life span (pp. 7-
22). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
[16] McAdams, D. P. (1993). The stories we live by: Personal myths and the
making of the self. New York: Morrow.
[17] Maddi, S. R. (1970). The search for meaning. In M. Page(Ed.),Nebraska
Symposium on Motivation (pp. 137-186). Lincoln: University
of Nebraska Press.
[18] Allport, G. W. (1961). Pattern and growth in personality. New York:
Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
[19] Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness. New York: Free Press.
[20] Skrabski, A., Kopp,M., Rozsa S., Rethelyi,J., Rahe,R.H. (2005).
[21] Life Meaning: An Important Correlate of Health in the Hungarian
Population. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12,278-85.
[22] Schulz, U., & Schwarzer R.(2003). Soziale Unterst├╝tzung bei der
Krankheitsbewältigung. Die Berliner Social Support Skalen
(BSSS)[Social support in coping with illness: The Berlin Social
Support Scales (BSSS)]. Diagnostica, 49, 73-82.
[23] DiClemente, C.C., Carbonari, J.P., Montgomery, R.P.G. & Hughes,
S.O. (1994). The Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale. Journal of
Studies on Alcohol, 55, 141-148.
[24] Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F. (1995). Manual for the Depression
Anxiety Stress Scales. (2nd. Ed.) Sydney: Psychology Foundation.
[25] Maddi, S. R. (1967). The Existential Neurosis. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 72(4), 311-325.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:51950", author = "Fouzia Alsabah Shaikh and Anjali Ghosh", title = "Exploring Life Meaningfulness and Its Psychosocial Correlates among Recovering Substance Users – An Indian Perspective", abstract = "The present study was done primarily to address two major research gaps: firstly, development of an empirical measure of life meaningfulness for substance users and secondly, to determine the psychosocial determinants of life meaningfulness among the substance users. The study is classified into two phases: the first phase which dealt with development of Life Meaningfulness Scale and the second phase which examined the relationship between life meaningfulness and social support, abstinence self efficacy and depression. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for framing items. A Principal Component Analysis yielded three components: Overall Goal Directedness, Striving for healthy lifestyle and Concern for loved ones which collectively accounted for 42.06% of the total variance. The scale and its subscales were also found to be highly reliable. Multiple regression analyses in the second phase of the study revealed that social support and abstinence self efficacy significantly predicted life meaningfulness among 48 recovering inmates of a de-addiction center while level of depression failed to predict life meaningfulness.
", keywords = "Perceived Life meaningfulness, Social Support,Abstinence Self Efficacy, Depression, Substance Use.", volume = "4", number = "6", pages = "724-5", }
