Meaning in life and perceived quality of life in Switzerland: results of a representative survey in the German, French and Italian regions.

Background: The concept of meaning in life (MIL) has become a central one in recent years, particularly in psycho-oncology and palliative care. The Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMILE) has been developed to allow individuals to choose the life areas that they consider to be important for their own MIL. This approach relates to the "World Health Organisation" definition of quality of life (QOL) as an individual's perception of his own position.

What Gives Meaning in Life to Patients With Advanced Cancer? A Comparison Between Spanish, German, and Swiss Patients.

Context: Meaning in life (MiL) is a construct that varies across individuals, situations, cultures, and countries, and protects against emotional distress at the end of life.

Objectives: To examine MiL in inpatients with advanced cancer from Barcelona, Spain, and to compare the findings with those obtained in German and Swiss samples.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMiLE) was administered.

Meaning in life experience at the end of life: validation of the Hindi version of the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation and a cross-cultural comparison between Indian and German palliative care patients.

Context: The experience of Meaning in Life (MiL) is a major protective factor against feelings of hopelessness and wishes for hastened death in palliative care (PC) patients. However, most instruments for MiL assessment have been developed only in Western countries so far. Little is known about MiL experience in Asian PC patients.

Existential behavioral therapy for informal caregivers of palliative patients: barriers and promoters of support utilization.

Objective: Several interventions have been developed during recent years to support informal caregivers of palliative patients. However, these trials reported low enrollment rates. Employing a newly developed group intervention, existential behavioral therapy (EBT), one study reported that only 13.

Experience of meaning in life in bereaved informal caregivers of palliative care patients.

Purpose: Providing care for terminally ill family members places an enormous burden on informal caregivers. Meaning in life (MiL) may be a protective factor, but is jeopardised in caregiving and bereavement. This study evaluates the following questions: To what extent do bereaved informal caregivers of palliative care (PC) patients experience meaning in their lives? What differences emerge in carers compared to the general German population? How does MiL relate to well-being in former caregivers?

Methods: Eighty-four bereaved PC caregivers completed the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the WHOQOL-BREF, a single-item numerical rating scale of quality of life, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale.

Determinants of the effect of existential behavioral therapy for bereaved partners: a qualitative study.

Background: Informal caregivers of palliative patients took part in existential behavioral therapy (EBT), a group intervention comprising mindfulness exercises to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life.

Objectives: This study examined what the participants perceived as helpful to cope with their loss during the first year of bereavement, particularly with regard to the EBT intervention.

Design: Sixteen problem-centered, semi-structured interviews were evaluated with content analysis.

Meaning in life in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy.

This exploratory study investigated meaning in life (MiL) in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). In the "Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation" (SMiLE), respondents list individual MiL areas before rating their current satisfaction and importance with them (index of weighting [IoW], index of satisfaction [IoS], and index of weighted satisfaction [IoWS], range 0-100). A total of 38 patients with PSP completed the SMiLE (IoS: 68.

Mindfulness in informal caregivers of palliative patients.

Objectives: Mindfulness is a concept of growing impact on psychotherapy and has been shown to be effective for stress reduction and to improve psychological well-being. Existential Behavioural Therapy (EBT) was developed to support relatives of palliative care (PC) patients to cope with their situation during caregiving and bereavement. Mindfulness training was a core element of the intervention.

Systematic review of meaning in life assessment instruments.

Background: The construct of "meaning in life" (MiL) has raised the interest of clinicians working in psycho-oncology and end-of-life care. It has become a topic of scientific investigation where diverse assessment approaches have been applied.

Aims: We present a comprehensive systematic review of existing MiL assessment instruments.

Meaning in life in palliative care patients.

Context: The construct "meaning in life" (MiL) has recently raised the interest of clinicians working in psycho-oncology and end-of-life care and has become a topic of scientific investigation.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare MiL in palliative care (PC) patients with a representative sample of the German population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all PC patients treated in the PC inpatient unit and through the PC consult service at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich, from May 2005 to July 2007 were eligible to participate.

Meaning in life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The construct 'meaning in life' (MiL) has become increasingly important in palliative care. Several meaning-focused interventions have been developed recently. The aim of this study was to investigate MiL in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and compare the findings with a representative sample of the German population.

Effects of spiritual care training for palliative care professionals.

Little is known about the effects of spiritual care training for professionals in palliative medicine. We therefore investigated prospectively the effects of such training over a six-month period. All 63 participants of the three and a half-day training were asked to fill out three questionnaires: before and after the training, as well as six months later.