Relationships among meaning in life, religiosity and life satisfaction in families of people with disabilities
Published:
Feb 5, 2022
Keywords:
families of people with disabilities life satisfaction meaning in life religiosity
Abstract
Meaning in life and religiosity have been found to be positively associated with life satisfaction in people with disabilities (PWDs) or their family members. The present study examines whether the presence of meaning and/or the search for meaning mediate the relationship between religiosity (i.e., religious beliefs and participation) and life satisfaction (i.e., "satisfaction with personal/emotional life", "feeling of belonging" and "satisfaction with life goals") reported by members of families with PWDs. The participants (N = 101) reported higher levels of presence of meaning than search for meaning, moderate levels of religiosity and quite high levels of life satisfaction. The presence of meaning correlated higher than the search for meaning with almost all the subscales examined. Results largely confirmed our hypothesis that meaning in life significantly mediates the relationship of religiosity with life satisfaction experienced by family members of PWDs. In particular, the presence of meaning (but not the search for meaning) was found to be a strong mediating variable in the relationship between belief in God/a higher power and overall life satisfaction, as well as its dimensions "satisfaction with personal/emotional life", "feeling of belonging" and "satisfaction with life goals". In contrast, the presence of meaning did not mediate the relationship between participating in religious practices and being satisfied with life. These findings may be helpful to mental health professionals in supporting families with PWDs.
Article Details
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Platsidou, M., Kartasidou, L., & Petridou, A. (2022). Relationships among meaning in life, religiosity and life satisfaction in families of people with disabilities. Psychology: The Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 26(3), 210–227. https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.29162
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