The concept and measurement of meaning in life in Dutch cancer patients (original) (raw)
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Meaning in life of patients with cancer
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate meaning in life and its predictors in Turkish patients with cancer. Methods: A convenience sample of 182 patients with cancer at a Turkish university hospital completed a structured questionnaire including demographic characteristics, disease/ treatment characteristics, symptom level, and the meaning in life scale for patients with cancer in 2007. The researcher visited the oncology clinic five work days in every week and conducted interviews with the patients. In analysis of the data, correlation, t-tests, Kruskal-Wallis variance and regression analysis were used. Results: In this study, the mean score of the total meaning in life showed that the patients tended to be undecided concerning meaning in life. Education level, age, and diagnosis duration of the independent variables were effective predictors of meaning in life. Together the independent variables explained 24.3% of the variance of the purpose subscale, 26.2% of the variance of the coherence subscale, 14% of the variance of the choice/responsibleness subscale, and 44.1% of the total variance of the goal seeking subscale. Overall the independent variables explained 19.8% of the total variance of the total meaning in life. Significance of results: The results in this study should increase the awareness of cancer care professionals about a range of the meaning in life and may help them to target particular patient groups for detail support interventions.
Measuring meaning in life following cancer
Quality of life …, 2006
Meaning in life is a multi-faceted construct that has been conceptualized in diverse ways. It refers broadly to the value and purpose of life, important life goals, and for some, spirituality. We developed a measure of meaning in life derived from this conceptualization and designed to be a synthesis of relevant theoretical and empirical traditions. Two samples, all cancer patients, provided data for scale development and psychometric study. From exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses the Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS) emerged, and includes four aspects: Harmony and Peace, Life Perspective, Purpose and Goals, Confusion and Lessened Meaning, and Benefits of Spirituality. Supporting data for reliability (internal consistency, test–retest) and construct validity (convergent, discriminant, individual differences) are provided. The MiLS offers a theoretically based and psychometrically sound assessment of meaning in life suitable for use with cancer patients.
Meaning of Life in Cancer Patients Associated with Demographic and Clinical Characteristics
West Indian Medical Journal, 2017
The aim of this study was to examine the meaning of life in cancer patients and its association with clinical and demographic characteristics. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 150 patients who were referred to the department of oncology and radiotherapy centre of 5-Azar teaching Hospital (Gorgan). All eligible patients were seen during five months in 2013. Data were collected by use of MiLs questionnaire (Meaning in Life Scale). The instrument consists of four domain: harmony and peace, life perspective, confusion and lessened meaning and benefits of spirituality, which contain of 21 questions. Total Meaning scores range between-3 to 17, the higher points, represent the favourable meaning of life (more positive view about life). The reliability coefficient Cronbach's alpha (0.87) was calculated. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (Spss) software (version 18) was used for analysis and independent t-test and the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied. The significance level for this test was considered 0.05. Results: The mean age of patients was 48.31 ± 5.1 years. A total of 47.3 per cent of patients were males. Fifty-two per cent were urban residents, 34 per cent of those illiterate and 78.7 per cent of participants were married. Average score of meaning of life was 7.18 ± 1.99 from 17 scores. Marital status (p < 0.029), type of treatment regimen (p < 0.012), number of children (p < 0.018) and place of residence (p < 0.046) are statistically, meaning significant full relationship with total score of meaning of life. Conclusion: Meaning of life of all participating in study was relatively good, which may be caused by the Islamic culture, so rich in concepts of meaning of life in all areas of life (health and disease).
Cogent Psychology, 2017
Meaning in life or lack of it is frequently associated to the psychological adjustment to disease. This study aims at contributing to the clarification of the concept and developing a meaning in life scale which may be applied either in a clinical population or in the general population as well as presenting its psychometric evaluation. Four samples were used to perform the psychometric analyses, of which three of them represented different diseases. Sample one consists of 200 patients with colorectal cancer, where 51% are males, sample two consists of 150 females with breast cancer and sample three consists of 92 male patients mainly with prostatic cancer. Sample four consists of 88 healthy subjects of which 37.5% are males. Confirmatory Factorial Analysis was performed, and the maximum likelihood extraction method was applied. Findings suggested a unidimensional scale with a good model of fit across the four samples, acceptable reliability and appropriate convergent validity. There was a negative relationship with Anxiety and Depression and a positive relationship with Quality of Life, Life Satisfaction, Optimism and Social Support. No differences were found in the new scale concerning gender and cancer types. The meaning in life scale is a promising tool to be used in health settings.
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2011
Goal of work While significance of the concept of meaning in understanding adaptation to cancer is widely accepted, it has been little studied, especially in longitudinal data. This study aims to clarify the role of global meaning and meaning-related life attitudes (death acceptance and goal seeking) in predicting different aspects of psychological and existential distress by reference to a specified research model. Patients and methods At baseline (T1), a sample of 270 cancer patients was recruited. Data from 178 patients could be obtained after 3 months at T2. Patients completed the Life-Attitude-Profile—Revised assessing global meaning and meaning-related life attitudes, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Demoralization Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out in two steps. Sociodemographic and physical factors were controlled. Results Global meaning emerged as a significant negative predictor of depression (β = −0.27) (p ≤ 0.001) and demoralization (β = −0.27) (p ≤ 0.001). Death acceptance was a predictor of anxiety only (β = −0.21) (p ≤ 0.003), whereas goal seeking was a positive predictor of depression (β = 0.29) (p ≤ 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.36) (p ≤ 0.001), and demoralization (β = 0.35) (p ≤ 0.001). Discussion Findings confirm a global sense of meaning as an important protecting factor regarding the development of distress symptoms. Results suggest that different dimensions of meaning contribute to different dimensions of psychological well-being, as they refer to different existential problems. The need for and relevance of meaning-focused interventions in cancer patients is strengthened.
Relationship between the quality of life and the meaning of life in cancer patient
Pielegniarstwo XXI wieku / Nursing in the 21st Century, 2017
Aim. The goal of the study was focused on examining the impact of meaningfulness of life on the quality of life in cancer patients.Methods. The selection of respondents was deliberate. The study involved together one hundred cancer patients undergoing anticancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy) in cancer care centers in the Prešov and Košice regions. We used two standardized World Health Organisation questionnaires WHOQOL-BREF 26 and The Life Meaningfulness Scale (LMS).Results. The results show statistical significance (p
Journal of Religion and Health
Spiritual and existential issues are important factors for oncology patients' well-being. This study aimed to examine the beneficial role of spiritual experience, hope, and meaning in life for life satisfaction in patients diagnosed with breast and lung cancer. It was hypothesized that spiritual experiences and life satisfaction are indirectly related through hope, as well as meaning in life mediates the relationship between hope and life satisfaction. It was a pilot study with a sample consisting of 4 men and 46 women, 24–83 years of age oncology patients. The following measures were used: Cantril Ladder, Purpose in Life Test, Herth Hope Index as well as Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale. A sample of Polish patients with breast and lung cancer confirmed the beneficial effects of spiritual experiences and existential aspects of life for their life satisfaction. According to obtained results, hope was indirectly related to life satisfaction through meaning in life. Also, spiritua...
The Relationship of Purpose of Life and hope in shaping happiness among cancer patients in Poland
The authors investigated the relationship of purpose of life, and hope in the happiness and life satisfaction of patients with cancer during or following cancer treatment. Fifty cancer patients were interviewed during recovery in two Warsaw medical centers. The primary measures used were Purpose in Life Test, Herth Hope Index, Happiness and Social Well-Being tools by Czapi ´ nski, and the Cantril Ladder of Satisfaction with Life, as well as medical and demographic measures. Purpose in life was correlated with measures of happiness, and satisfaction with life. Hope was correlated with current happiness, and four measures of satisfaction with life. Patients who had cancer longer, that is, duration of disease, showed lower scores for purpose in life, and number of friends. The longer the time of cancer treatment, the lower were patients’ scores for desire for life. Purpose in life and hope were positively correlated with eleven measures of happiness and satisfaction in life. The cancer variables negatively correlated with loss of friends and six variables of happiness, and satisfaction in life, suggesting the impact that having cancer treatment had on patients’ lives. Psychological support in the cancer center was helpful to patients in and out of treatment. KEYWORDS purpose in life, hope, happiness, satisfaction in life, cancer patients, cancer treatment, duration of disease, social support