scholarly journals The Impact of Meaning in Life and Reasons for Living on Suicidal Behaviour in Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Author(s):  
Evan Flynn

Abstract A systematic review is presented which aims to synthesise relevant literature focused on the influence of Meaning in Life (MiL) and Reasons for Living (RFL) on Suicidal Behaviour (SB) in young adults. Twelve papers of suitable quality were sourced through a rigorous search strategy and a narrative synthesis was performed. This revealed that RFL and MiL act as protective factors against SB in young adults. Additional findings revealed a cultural universality of the protective aspect of MiL/RFL on SB, as well as further insights into the sub-components of life meaning- Search for Meaning in Life and Presence of Meaning in Life. The associated risk factors of SB- Hopelessness, Life Regard and Mental Pain, are also discussed in relation to MiL and RFL. This study paves the way for further research on the same topic and draws attention to something that is frequently neglected in the psychiatric community- consideration of the transcendental aspects of human nature.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Mosolova ◽  
Dmitry Sosin ◽  
Sergey Mosolov

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been subject to increased workload while also exposed to many psychosocial stressors. In a systematic review we analyze the impact that the pandemic has had on HCWs mental state and associated risk factors. Most studies reported high levels of depression and anxiety among HCWs worldwide, however, due to a wide range of assessment tools, cut-off scores, and number of frontline participants in the studies, results were difficult to compare. Our study is based on two online surveys of 2195 HCWs from different regions of Russia during spring and autumn epidemic outbreaks revealed the rates of anxiety, stress, depression, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and perceived stress as 32.3%, 31.1%, 45.5%, 74.2%, 37.7% ,67.8%, respectively. Moreover, 2.4% of HCWs reported suicidal thoughts. The most common risk factors include: female gender, nurse as an occupation, younger age, working for over 6 months, chronic diseases, smoking, high working demands, lack of personal protective equipment, low salary, lack of social support, isolation from families, the fear of relatives getting infected. These results demonstrate the need for urgent supportive programs for HCWs fighting COVID-19 that fall into higher risk factors groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Ashley Humphrey ◽  
Olivia Vari

Past research has found that a perceived meaning in life can act as a protective factor against adverse mental health symptomology, while also providing coping resources to buffer against the impact of negative life events. The current research investigated how the impact of self-perceived meaning in life as well as its predictors interact with stressors and worry related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected survey based data (n = 260) from Australian participants during the pandemic, measuring their meaning in life, orientation to differing life goals and COVID-19 related stressors via the impact of events scale. We found that meaning in life predicted less stress and worry associated with COVID-19. We also found that intrinsic based aspirations related positively to meaning in life within this context whereas extrinsic based goals related negatively to it, although these aspirations were not significant in reducing the stressors associated with COVID-19. These results reinforce past findings that meaning in life can effectively buffer against the impact of negative life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They also suggest that intrinsic based aspirations centred on relationships and self-acceptance may be an important mechanism in how people choose to pursue life meaning during uncertain life events.


2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19
Author(s):  
Matthew Csabonyi ◽  
Lisa J. Phillips

Viktor Frankl theorized that an absence of meaning in one’s life can result in boredom and apathy—the “existential vacuum”—and attempts to avoid or “escape” the vacuum can include short-acting distracting behaviors. This study investigated whether the presence of meaning (PM) or the search for meaning are associated with alcohol, drug, and cigarette use by young adults, and whether boredom mediates those relationships. Hundred and seventy-six young adults completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and provided information about cigarette and illicit drug use over the preceding year. The results partly support Frankl’s model: higher PM was associated with lower alcohol/other drug use and boredom mediated those relationships, but PM was not related to cigarette smoking. Contrary to Frankl’s model, no relationship was found between search for meaning and alcohol, drug, or cigarette use. This suggests that psychological interventions that assist individuals who use drugs or alcohol to identify meaning or purpose in their lives might reduce levels of drug and alcohol use. The process of searching for meaning may not have substantial direct impact on levels of substance use, but once some meaning was established there may be decreased impetus to continue using drugs and alcohol.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimpi Patel ◽  
Nathaniel D. Mc Conkey ◽  
Ryann Sohaney ◽  
Ashley Mc Neil ◽  
Andy Jedrzejczyk ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly seen arrhythmia in clinical practice. At present, few studies have been conducted centering on depression and anxiety in AF patients. Our aim in this systematic review is to use the relevant literature to (1) describe the prevalence of depression and anxiety in AF patients, (2) assess the impact that depression and anxiety have on illness perception in patients with AF, (3) provide evidence to support a hypothetical connection between the pathophysiology of AF and depression and anxiety, (4) evaluate the benefit of treatment of AF on depression and anxiety, and (5) give insight on medically managing a patient with AF and concomitant depression and anxiety.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258307
Author(s):  
He Sun ◽  
Kim Geok Soh ◽  
Samsilah Roslan ◽  
Mohd Rozilee Wazir Norjali Wazir ◽  
Kim Lam Soh

Background Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state induced by a prolonged duration of demanding cognitive tasks. The effects of mental fatigue on physical performance have been well investigated in the literature. However, the effect of mental fatigue on skilled performance in sports remains unclear. Objective This study aimed to report a comprehensive systematic review investigating the carryover effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance among athletes. Methods A thorough search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (CENTRAL, SPORTDicus), and Scopus to select relevant literature, as well as on Google Scholar and sources of reference for grey literature. The selected literatures are centred on a mental fatigue protocol in which cognitive tasks are performed prior to athletic tasks. Only studies that used an experimental design to test two conditions, namely mental fatigue and non-mental fatigue, were selected. Results Eleven articles were chosen based on the selection criteria. Mental fatigue affects skilled performance in three sports: soccer, basketball, and table tennis. A decline in skilled performance (decreased accuracy, increased performing time etc) is relevant to impaired executive functions. Seven studies focus on offensive skills, whereas only two studies are associated with defensive skills. Conclusion Mental fatigue has a negative effect on various sports skills of high-level athletes, including their technical and decision-making skills; however, the impact is greater on offensive skills than that of defensive skills in terms of the role of athletes. Impaired executive functions may be responsible for the negative effects of mental fatigue on skilled performance.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Jiraporn Chittrakul ◽  
Ratana Sapbamrer ◽  
Wachiranun Sirikul

The incidence of respiratory disease is increasing. In relation to this, in addition to infection, factors associated with working with chemical insecticides are a cause for concern. Some of the chemicals involved have been shown to affect the respiratory system, and consequentially workers are at increased risk of conditions such as asthma. However, medical opinion around this area is still controversial; therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the association between exposure to insecticides and asthma by means of a systematic review of the relevant literature. Relevant literature was identified, and a systematic review was conducted to investigate the association between exposure to insecticides and asthma. A total of five studies (three cross sectional and two cohort) including 45,435 subjects were identified as relevant. The summary odds ratios related to the impact of exposure to specific insecticides on asthma were organophosphates 1.31 (95%CI = 1.17–1.48, I2 = 27%, p = 0.172), carbamates 1.44 (95%CI 1.08–1.92, I2 = 56.7%, p = 0.031) and organochlorines 1.31 (95%CI 1.19–1.64, I2 = 37.3%, p = 0.131). Farmers exposed to certain insecticides may have an increased risk of asthma and asthmatic symptoms, but further research on that issue is urgently needed.


2019 ◽  
pp. 216769681988345
Author(s):  
David Allen ◽  
Nerina Scarinci ◽  
Louise Hickson

Patient- and family-centered care has been shown to improve outcomes across a range of health conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of interventions to improve the patient- and family-centeredness of care (PFCIs) on the effectiveness of care of young adults (16–25) with chronic health conditions. A segregated design mixed-methods systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-synthesis of the literature was conducted. Thirteen quantitative papers and three qualitative papers were identified for inclusion. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed on quantitative findings, and a meta-synthesis was performed on qualitative findings. Preliminary evidence suggests that PFCIs were associated with improvements in the self-efficacy of young people with chronic health conditions. However, there were very few identified studies, and those that were identified were primarily in the field of mental health, requiring ongoing further research.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Bin Li ◽  
Kai Dou

Meaning in life can be understood as how much people experience life meaning, i.e., presence of meaning (POM) and how intensely they seek life meaning, i.e., search for meaning (SFM). Previous research has related POM and SFM to the subjective well-being (SWB) of individuals, but the findings are inconsistent. This meta-analysis investigates the overall relationship between POM/SFM and SWB by examining previous studies that have used Steger et al.’s (2006) Meaning in Life Questionnaire to assess POM and SFM. Results of 148 studies, reporting 726 effect sizes (N=92,169), suggest the effect size for the “POM–SWB” relationship is close to medium (ESz=0.418, p<.001, 95% CI=[0.390,0.446]). The effect is larger in life satisfaction and cross-sectional studies. The effect size for the “SFM–SWB” association is small (ESz=-.121, p<.001, 95% CI=[-0.155,-0.817]), with the effect being larger for negative affect, cross-sectional studies, and older participants. Interestingly, SFM is positively related to SWB for participants from countries with a high collectivism index, suggesting a stronger association for people from such countries. This study shows a robust link between presence of life meaning and greater SWB, and that while searching for life meaning may be adverse to SWB, the effect is small and conditional.


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