Factors associated with meaning in life among people with recurrent cancer

Attribution theory proposes that negative or unexpected events challenge one's sense of meaning. The purpose of this correlational, cross-sectional study was to determine what factors were associated with the sense of meaning in life among people with recurrent cancer. A convenience sample of 74 subjects completed six survey instruments, including the Purpose in Life (PIL) Test, Symptom Distress Scale, Enforced Social Dependency Scale, and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, as well as two surveys developed by the author to assess aspects of the search for meaning, and demographic and illness variables. Significant negative Pearson correlations were found between sense of meaning and the following variables: symptom distress, social dependency, and length of time since diagnosis of recurrence. Adjustment to illness was associated with a clear sense of meaning. Analysis of variance indicated that married subjects had significantly higher PIL Test scores than single subjects. In concert, these factors accounted for 38% of the variance in sense of meaning. These findings empirically demonstrate that the sense of meaning is integrally associated with the physical and psychosocial effects of illness and suggest that oncology nurses must understand how to care for those who search for meaning.