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Finding Meaning in Psychiatric Recovery: A Literature Review of Approaches to Meaning in Life Within Mental Healthcare

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleAcademic

Abstract

Meaning in life (MiL) is a key facilitator of recovery from severe mental illness (SMI), yet its conceptualization in mental health care remains ambiguous. Through an integrative literature review, this study first identified a range of MiL aspects in mental healthcare for people with SMI. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed, in which 32 aspects emerged. Secondly, an analysis of the theoretical background of the selected studies yielded four disciplinary perspectives from which MiL was conceptualized. Future MiL studies might benefit from specifying and including common (or less common) MiL aspects, such as purpose, relationships, spirituality, identity, coherence, and well-being.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3566-3591
Number of pages26
JournalJournal of Religion and Health
Volume64
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Jul 2025

Bibliographical note

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Keywords

  • Chaplaincy
  • Meaning in life
  • Psychiatric recovery
  • Serious mental illness
  • Spirituality
  • Mental Health Services
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders/psychology

Themes from the UHS research agenda

  • Care, welfare and flourishing
  • Meaning making and chaplaincy

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