"Life still has meaning for me!" Exploring sources of meaningful life among palliative care patients: a qualitative...

Palliative care has increasingly shifted from a biomedical model toward holistic approaches that address physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs. Meaning in life is a key determinant of quality of life in advanced illness, yet patient perspectives on how meaning is constructed within inpatient settings remain underexplored. This study aimed to explore how individuals receiving inpatient palliative care at a tertiary hospital in Turkey construct and sustain meaning in their daily lives.

This qualitative study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Nine patients (aged 58-87) hospitalized in the palliative care unit of a tertiary care hospital.

Four interrelated themes were identified. Family, spirituality, hope, and psychological adaptation emerged as the primary sources of meaning, providing emotional security, continuity, and resilience throughout the palliative care process. Participation in daily occupations such as conversations, watching television, religious practices, and other meaningful routines supported psychological stability but was often constrained by functional decline and the lack of structured activity opportunities. Environmental and relational contexts shaped patients' experiences of meaning: supportive relationships with healthcare professionals fostered trust and emotional comfort, whereas noise, shared rooms, lack of privacy, and limited communal spaces hindered engagement and well-being. Finally, reflections on past roles and occupational identities revealed both continuity and disruption of self, highlighting the challenges that illness-related changes in roles and functioning pose for meaning-making.

Meaning in palliative care appears to be sustained through social connectedness, spirituality, hope, participation in meaningful occupations, supportive environments, and continuity of identity. Integrating occupation-focused interventions, spiritual care, and environmental modifications within palliative care services may help preserve continuity, dignity, and emotional well-being. Future multicenter and longitudinal studies are needed to further examine meaning-making across different care contexts and illness trajectories.