Purpose This mixed-methods study was conducted to compare and analyze the perceptions of children and their parents regarding the meaning of the children’s life.
Methods First, children’s and parents’ perceptions of the meaning of life were analyzed using a quantitative approach, and the cognitive differences between children and parents were then confirmed through a qualitative approach. We integrated the collected data comprehensively.
Results Ten significant differences (awareness of strong points, recognizing oneself as a precious being, relationships with friends, happy memories, liking people, experiencing difficulty, dreams and goals, experiencing love, appreciating life, helping people who are poorer than me) were identified between children and parents. The results of the content analysis of the qualitative data were divided into two variables: children’s experiences of the meaning of life (78 significant statements, 32 sub-themes, and 10 themes) and parents’ perceptions of the meaning of life of their children (89 significant statements, 36 sub-themes, and 10 themes).
Conclusion Based on these results, we propose developing meaning-centered intervention programs for children and parents and applying them for educational purposes. By doing so, we expect that meaning-centered education for elementary school students will become more active.
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Assessing quality of life among elementary school students: Validation of the Korean version of the Meaning in Life in Children Questionnaire Younyoung Choi, Joo Yeon Shin Frontiers in Psychology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Purpose This study analyzes meaning-centered intervention studies conducted in Korea and abroad to compare and confirm their characteristics and results.
Methods A literature search using keywords in English and Korean was performed using nine electronic databases in December 2017. Search participants included adolescents, and interventions conducted in meaning-centered intervention studies were selected for evaluation. A Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized studies was used for quality assessment.
Results All studies were based on quasi-experimental designs. The semantic intervention included topics such as freedom, choice, responsibility, pain, death, finding value of life, purpose and meaning of life, and becoming a master of my life. All studies used logotherapy, and included meaningful interventions that influenced the meaning and purpose of the life of adolescents. The life satisfaction of adolescents changed significantly when there is a positive and open relationship with their parents. Therefore, an educational program for parents based on meaning therapy is desperately needed.
Conclusion Meaning-centered interventions were found to be effective interventions for exploring the meaning of life not only for adolescents with problems but also for healthy youth, and as such could be used as basic data for the development of an appropriate intervention for enhancing their life.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Logotherapy for Depressive Symptoms: A Meta‐Analysis of Passive and Active Control Studies Jeffrey H. D. Cornelius‐White, Samuel M. Watson, Yasuko Kanamori, Avery J. Cornelius‐White The Journal of Humanistic Counseling.2025; 64(2): 130. CrossRef
Meaning making in parenting a child with disabilities: Discrepancy of meaning, psychological distress, coping strategies and stress-related growth Maria Platsidou, Anastasia Mavridou Psychology: the Journal of the Hellenic Psychologi.2025; 30(1): 91. CrossRef
The effects of virtual logotherapy on health-promoting lifestyle among single-parent adolescent girls during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a randomized clinical trial Fatemeh Hosseinzadeh, Reza Negarandeh, Akram Sadat Sadat-Hoseini, Shahzad Pashaeypoor BMC Women's Health.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
« WOW » Un programme pour développer la compétence d’émerveillement et aider les adolescents à trouver un sens à leur vie en nature. Morgane Lépée Cortica.2022; 1(1): 196. CrossRef
Exploring the association between forgiveness, meaning-making, and post-traumatic stress symptoms: The case of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico Sowmya Kshtriya, Ani Kalayjian, Sarah R. Lowe, Daria Diakonova-Curtis, Loren Toussaint International Journal of Educational Research.2022; 115: 102020. CrossRef
Awareness of meaning and quest for meaning: The mechanisms between future orientation and prosociality among youth during pandemic Wai-Kin Lui, Chi-Keung Chan, Kai-Hang Ng, Chi-Fai Raymond Chui, Nicolson Yat-Fan Siu, Chui-Shan Yung, Ka-Wing Lau Frontiers in Psychology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
The relationship between search for meaning in life and symptoms of depression and anxiety: Key roles of the presence of meaning in life and life events among Chinese adolescents Qian Chen, Xin-Qiang Wang, Xiao-Xin He, Li-Jun Ji, Ming-fan Liu, Bao-juan Ye Journal of Affective Disorders.2021; 282: 545. CrossRef
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