Chronic Lack of meaning and purpose: Empirically derived definitions and clinical implications

AbstractOBJECTIVESLife is experienced as without meaning and/or purpose across multiple clinical presentations. Tripartite theories divide the literature into meaning as comprehension/coherence, as purpose and as significance/mattering. However, the field remains divided about what meaning in life actually is, due to the continuing lack of empirically derived definitions to guide research and clinical practice. This study aimed to fill that gap and in so doing, identify targets for resolving lack of meaning and purpose. DESIGNThis qualitative study used rigorous, systematic and replicable procedures in applying Husserl’s empirical phenomenological principles; that a human experience can be defined through suspending preconceptions about it and identifying the commonalities between the detailed descriptions of first-hand experiencers. METHODSTwenty-four self-identified experiencers of chronic lack of meaning and purpose gave detailed descriptions of it via open-ended, a-theoretical interviews that produced a transcribed database of roughly 300,000 words. Each interview was micro-explicated by annotating every idea within it and producing a fully referenced paraphrase with emergent constituent codes attached. Defining constituents present in all transcripts were then identified through systematic comparison. RESULTSChronic lack of meaning was shown to be a gestalt of valuelessness and value-inefficacy, with value being what was important to an individual. Value-inefficacy was a self-perpetuating, multidimensional gestalt that maintained meaninglessness through reciprocal interactions between uncontrollable, value-destroying experiences, confused deficits of value-generating sense-making, dysthymic angst, the purposelessness of being without valued and attainable life goals and deficits of value-generating action.CONCLUSIONSChronic meaninglessness is a multidimensional lack of personally valued experience, which can include a lack of valued and attainable life-goals (purpose). It arises in the context of uncontrollable value destruction and is maintained by an experiential gestalt of value-inefficacy. Clinical pointers 1.Chronic lack of meaning and/or purpose is a psychological problem maintained by a multidimensional schema of value-inefficacy.2.It co-exists with a range of clinical presentations and can be causal.3.When chronic lack of meaning and/or purpose co-exists with clinical symptoms, treatment will likely be enhanced by assessing and working to resolve the gestalt of value-inefficacy that maintains it.