Making Meaning of Life Events: Theory, Evidence, and Research Directions for an Alternative Model

2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Frances O'Connor
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Psychotherapy Research ◽  
Cognitive Restructuring ◽  
Baseline Model ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Making Meaning

Utilizing cognition, emotion, and psychotherapy research, theoretical and empirical evidence on adjustment to negative life events is reviewed. Two models of adjustment to negative life events are developed: the return-to-baseline model and the meaning-making model. The return-to-baseline model utilizes time and the return to a pre-event level of negativity, while the meaning-making model uses cognitive restructuring, increasing positive emotion, increasing regulation of negative emotion, and decreasing autonomic arousal. Meaning-making is a bridge from the negative emotion caused by negative life events to positive emotion through cognitive restructuring. Throughout the article new directions in adjustment research are suggested and the implicit uses of the return-to-baseline model in current research are uncovered.

scholarly journals Does Self-Reassurance Reduce Neural and Self-Report Reactivity to Negative Life Events?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Kim ◽  
James R. Doty ◽  
Ross Cunnington ◽  
James N. Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Task Engagement ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Written Descriptions ◽  
Future Work

Whilst research has shown how self-criticism may increase both neural and self-report markers of negative emotion, less well-known is how self-reassurance—a compassionately-motivated cognitive self-relating style—may regulate negative emotion. Using fMRI, we invited participants to engage in self-criticism and self-reassurance toward written descriptions of negative life events (mistakes, setbacks, failures). Our results identify that neural markers of negative emotion and self-report markers of trial intensity during fMRI are down-regulated under conditions of self-reassurance, relative to self-criticism. Future work to control for autobiographical memory during this fMRI task is needed, as are controls for how well participants can engage in both thinking styles, to explore how memory/task engagement can contribute to self-reassurance and self-criticism. Engagement in self-reassurance can reduce the “sting” of negative life-events, both neural and self-report, which holds important implications for therapy.

scholarly journals Self-reassurance reduces neural and self-report reactivity to negative life events

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Kim ◽  
Ross Cunnington ◽  
James N. Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Neural Markers ◽  
Written Descriptions ◽  
Future Work

AbstractBackgroundWhilst research has shown how self-criticism may increase both neural and self-report markers of negative emotion, less well known is how self-reassurance - a compassionately-motivated cognitive self-relating style - may regulate negative emotion.MethodUsing fMRI, we invited participants to engage in self-criticism and self-reassurance toward written descriptions of negative life events (mistakes, setbacks, failures).ResultsOur results identify that neural markers of negative emotion and self-report markers of trial intensity during fMRI are suppressed under conditions of self-reassurance, relative to self-criticism.LimitationsFuture work to control for autobiographical memory during this fMRI task is needed, to explore how memory can contribute to self-reassurance and self-criticism.ConclusionsEngagement in self-reassurance can reduce the ‘sting’ of negative life-events, both neural and self-report, which holds important implications for therapy.

Negative Life Events Associated With Deliberate Self-Harm in an African Population in Uganda

Crisis ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kinyanda ◽  
H. Hjelmeland ◽  
S. Musisi
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Dose Effect ◽  
Deliberate Self Harm ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Suicide Interventions

Abstract. Negative life events associated with deliberate self-harm (DSH) were investigated in an African context in Uganda. Patients admitted at three general hospitals in Kampala, Uganda were interviewed using a Luganda version (predominant language in the study area) of the European Parasuicide Study Interview Schedule I. The results of the life events and histories module are reported in this paper. The categories of negative life events in childhood that were significantly associated with DSH included those related to parents, significant others, personal events, and the total negative life events load in childhood. For the later-life time period, the negative life events load in the partner category and the total negative life events in this time period were associated with DSH. In the last-year time period, the negative life events load related to personal events and the total number of negative life events in this time period were associated with DSH. A statistically significant difference between the cases and controls for the total number of negative life events reported over the entire lifetime of the respondents was also observed, which suggests a dose effect of negative life events on DSH. Gender differences were also observed among the cases. In conclusion, life events appear to be an important factor in DSH in this cultural environment. The implication of these results for treatment and the future development of suicide interventions in this country are discussed.

Spirituality in Relation to Negative Life Events, Coping, and Traumatic Impact

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hillary Van Horn ◽  
Marcia Webb ◽  
Sarah A. Chickering ◽  
Kristin Hedden ◽  
Amelia Jane Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Traumatic Impact

Association between negative life events and morbidity in homeless seeking treatment for substance abuse in Greenland

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Birgit V. Niclasen ◽  
Eeva-Liisa Røssell Johansen ◽  
Ulrik Becker ◽  
Anette Søgaard Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events

Prevalence, Co-Occurrence, and Correlates of Substance and Behavioral Addictions Among American Indian Adolescents in California

2021 ◽  
pp. 004723792110170
Author(s):  
Steve Sussman ◽  
Jennifer B. Unger ◽  
Cynthia Begay ◽  
Lou Moerner ◽  
Claradina Soto
Keyword(s):  
Video Games ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Life Stressors ◽  
Behavioral Addictions ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Indian Adolescents ◽  
American Indian Adolescents

The present study investigated the prevalence and co-occurrence of addictions to tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, food/eating, the internet, texting, video games, shopping, love, sex, exercise, work, and gambling among American Indian (AI) youth in California. As with previous work in other cultural groups, the most prevalent addictions were love, internet, and exercise, though prevalence and co-occurrence of these addictions were relatively high among AI youth. A negative life events measure was associated with all the addictions, suggesting that life stressors are associated with high rates of multiple types of addictions among AI youth. There is a need for more research to better understand the relations of life stressors with multiple addictions among AI youth as well as how to remediate these behaviors.

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