Finding Meaning in Psychiatric Recovery: A Literature Review of Approaches to Meaning in Life Within Mental Healthcare

Abstract

Meaning in life (MiL) is a key facilitator of recovery from severe mental illness (SMI), yet its conceptualization in mental health care remains ambiguous. Through an integrative literature review, this study first identified a range of MiL aspects in mental healthcare for people with SMI. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed, in which 32 aspects emerged. Secondly, an analysis of the theoretical background of the selected studies yielded four disciplinary perspectives from which MiL was conceptualized. Future MiL studies might benefit from specifying and including common (or less common) MiL aspects, such as purpose, relationships, spirituality, identity, coherence, and well-being.