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Meaning of life, representation of death, and their association with psychological distress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2017

Ines Testoni ,
Giulia Sansonetto ,
Lucia Ronconi ,
Maddalena Rodelli ,
Gloria Baracco  and
Luigi Grassi
Ines Testoni*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Giulia Sansonetto
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Lucia Ronconi
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Maddalena Rodelli
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Gloria Baracco
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Local Health Authorities 8, Asolo, Italy
Luigi Grassi*
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy Hospital University Psychiatry Unit, Sant'Anna University Hospital and Local Health Trust, Ferrara, Italy
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Luigi Grassi, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 64a, 44121 Ferrara, Italy. E-mail: [email protected] and Ines Testoni, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua, Piazza Capitaniato, 3, 35139 Padova, Italy E-mail: [email protected].
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Luigi Grassi, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 64a, 44121 Ferrara, Italy. E-mail: [email protected] and Ines Testoni, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA), University of Padua, Piazza Capitaniato, 3, 35139 Padova, Italy E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Objective:

This paper presents a two-phase cross-sectional study aimed at examining the possible mitigating role of perceived meaning of life and representation of death on psychological distress, anxiety, and depression.

Method:

The first phase involved 219 healthy participants, while the second encompassed 30 cancer patients. Each participant completed the Personal Meaning Profile (PMP), the Testoni Death Representation Scale (TDRS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Distress Thermometer (DT). The primary analyses comprised (1) correlation analyses between the overall scores of each of the instruments and (2) path analysis to assess the indirect effect of the PMP on DT score through anxiety and depression as determined by the HADS.

Results:

The path analysis showed that the PMP was inversely correlated with depression and anxiety, which, in turn, mediated the effect on distress. Inverse correlations were found between several dimensions of the PMP, the DT, and the HADS–Anxiety and HADS–Depression subscales, in both healthy participants and cancer patients. Religious orientation (faith in God) was related to a stronger sense of meaning in life and the ontological representation of death as a passage, rather than annihilation.

Significance of Results:

Our findings support the hypothesis that participants who represent death as a passage and have a strong perception of the meaning of life tend to report lower levels of distress, anxiety, and depression. We recommend that perceived meaning of life and representation of death be more specifically examined in the cancer and palliative care settings.

Keywords

CancerMeaning of lifeOntological representation of deathAnxietyDepressionPsychological distress
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 16 , Issue 5 , October 2018 , pp. 511 - 519
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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