[Meaning in life and mental health: personal meaning systems of psychotherapists and psychotherapy patients].
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated differences in the personal meaning systems of psychotherapists and psychotherapy patients as well as correlations between meaning in life and mental health.


METHODS
We qualitatively assessed the content and structure of the personal meaning systems of 41 psychotherapists and 77 psychotherapy patients. In addition, the participants completed questionnaires measuring meaning in life (LRI-r-d), sense of coherence (SOC-9L), self-esteem (RSES), satisfaction with life (SWLS), self-efficacy (SWK), and depression (BDI).


RESULTS
The personal meaning systems of psychotherapists were more complex and coherent compared to psychotherapy patients. In the group of psychotherapy patients, a more elaborate structure of the personal meaning system correlated with the subjective sense of meaning. We were able to confirm correlations between meaning in life and mental health for most of the instances.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychotherapists had more elaborate and coherent meaning systems than psychotherapy patients. Especially for psychotherapy patients elaborate and coherent meaning systems turned out to be important for mental health.
Dipl.-Psych. Sabine Löffler, Universitätsklinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden. Sabine.Loeffler@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Sabine
S
Löffler
Rainer
R
Knappe
Peter
P
Joraschky
Karin
K
Pöhlmann
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010684:Philosophy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012649:Self Concept; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult