Impacto existencial de un diagnóstico de cáncer: Cambio en valores personales

Los eventos traumáticos, crisis personales y otro tipo de hechos relevantes pueden llevarnos a un replanteamiento existencial. En tales situaciones resurgen cuestiones como ¿quién soy yo?, ¿qué sentido tiene mi vida?, ¿qué es lo más importante para mí en esta vida?, cuestiones todas ellas que pueden manifestar cambios sutiles o drásticos a la hora de ser respondidas. Recibir un diagnóstico de cáncer suele ser para muchos pacientes un acontecimiento de este tipo. Aquí se presenta un reciente estudio que hemos llevado a cabo en el área de Oncología del Hospital de Torrecárdenas, Almería. El estudio tuvo como objetivo recoger el posible cambio en los valores personales de los pacientes desde el diagnóstico. Veintinueve pacientes con diferentes tipos de cáncer, con una media de ocho meses desde que recibieron el diagnóstico, la mayoría de ellos bajo tratamiento de quimioterapia, respondieron un cuestionario sobre cambio de valores personales con formato de respuesta abierta. Los resultados mostraron cambio de valores en la mayoría de los participantes. En general, los pacientes tras el diagnóstico daban más importancia a las relaciones personales cercanas como la familia y los amigos, a la diversión y el ocio, a sí mismos, a la salud, la espiritualidad y el bienestar de los demás. Además, este cambio de valores fue de la mano de un cambio en el comportamiento. Varios pacientes reportaron una mayor asertividad o selectividad en las relaciones personales, mayor cercanía y empatía hacia los demás, más dedicación a los seres queridos, más espacio para uno mismo y las cosas que le resultan placenteras, involucrarse en nuevas actividades como viajar, cuidar más la dieta y más ejercicio físico. Los resultados son preliminares y sirven como guía para futuras investigaciones sobre el impacto existencial del cáncer y el papel del cambio en los valores personales con respecto al ajuste psicológico a la enfermedad

Learning to live through death

The present paper addresses two aims. Firstly, it provides an approach to the psychological process of dying and how to live meaningfully through the last moments of life. Dying is framed from an existential positive perspective based on Frankl's and Wong's theories of meaning in life. These theories propose self-transcendence as the central element of meaning in life. Therefore, the cultivation of self-transcendence when facing death is presented as the best psychological tool against death anxiety. Secondly, the paper focuses on the utility of death awareness to live meaningfully even when we are not dying. A combination of evidence and personal examples are provided to support this approach. Finally, our existential positive research project with cancer patients and undergraduates at the University of Almeria (Spain) is introduced

Perceived Impact of Quarantine on Loneliness, Death Obsession, and Preoccupation With God: Predictors of Increased Fear of COVID-19

Most countries are facing the societal challenging need for a new quarantine period due to the increasing number of COVID-19 infections, indicating a second or even third wave of disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the surface existential issues that are typically less present in people’s focal attention. The first aim of this study was to identify some of these existential struggles such as increased feelings of loneliness, death obsession, and preoccupation with God. Secondly, we explored the association of these factors with the increased fear of coronavirus during the quarantine. Data was collected from 1,340 Romanian adults using a cross-sectional web-based survey design in the midst of the national lockdown period of COVID-19. Participants completed measures of COVID-19 related loneliness, death obsession, and preoccupation with God twice; first, thinking about the period before the pandemic, and second, for the current situation during the quarantine. Then, they completed a fear of COVID-19 measure. Participants perceived an increase in the feelings of loneliness, death obsession, and preoccupation with God during the confinement. Furthermore, gender, knowing someone diagnosed with COVID-19, loneliness, death obsession, and preoccupation with God predicted fear of COVID-19. Interestingly, days in isolation did not predict fear of COVID-19 nor were associated with feelings of loneliness. In line with existential positive psychology, these results highlight the importance of policies and interventions targeting the experience of loneliness, spiritual beliefs, and particularly those aimed to promote death acceptance, in order to alleviate intense fear of COVID-19

Estudio de caso único con depresión, clarificación del sentido de la vida y toma de responsabilidad con los valores personales

El presente trabajo trata sobre un estudio de caso único con diagnóstico de depresión en el que se hizo una intervención desde el enfoque de la psicología existencial. Los puntos clave del tratamiento fueron la clarificación del sentido de la vida y el fomento de la responsabilidad en base a los valores del cliente. Para la evaluación del caso se utilizó un inventario de valores personales, uno de sentido de la vida, y otro de malestar psicológico a nivel pre- y post-intervención. Como idea base de este trabajo, se entiende que la sintomatología depresiva con la que el cliente viene a consulta está relacionada con conflictos de carácter existencial que involucran desajustes en la relación yo-otros, vacío de sentido en la vida y evasión de responsabilidad. En cuanto a la toma de responsabilidad, el tratamiento se centró en fomentar un rol activo sobre qué puede uno aportar al mundo frente a una actitud pasiva en la que solo se espera qué recibir del mundo. Los resultados de la intervención mostraron que se produjeron cambios tanto a nivel cuantitativo como cualitativo, produciéndose una disminución del malestar psicológico y un aumento del bienestar psicológico y las acciones valiosas para el cliente

Reappraising personal values in cancer: Meaning-in-life adaptation, meaningfulness, and quality of life

Objective This study explores the reappraisal of personal values among people with cancer post-diagnosis and its connections to meaningfulness, encompassing personal meaning and sense of meaning, and various dimensions of quality of life. Methods A total of 144 patients with diverse cancer types and a control group comprising 158 healthy adults with similar demographic characteristics completed the Valued Living Questionnaire-Perceived Change, the Personal Meaning Profile-Brief, the Portrait Values Questionnaire, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being. Results Cancer patients displayed a substantial values reappraisal compared to healthy adults. They reported an increased significance of social areas and self-transcendental values, including close relationships (family, partner, and friends), spirituality, citizenship, and universalism, as well as an increased importance of self-care and self in general. Conversely, cancer patients assigned less importance to work and self-enhancement values such as stimulation, power, and achievement. Cluster analysis revealed that patients who reappraised their values exhibited higher meaningfulness and better indicators of quality of life, including spiritual and physical well-being, compared to patients who did not modify their value system. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of assessing and promoting meaning-in-life adaptability among people with cancer, with potential applications in meaning-centered therapies and interventions aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility.Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte FPU014/023

Addiction in existential positive psychology (EPP, PP2.0): from a critique of the brain disease model towards a meaning-centered approach

Addiction is widely considered to be a chronic brain disease. Under this view, neuroscientists have spent lots of resources to study the brain and identify pharmacological targets to palliate addiction. However, the brain disease model presents serious epistemological and practical limitations. Firstly, this article collects important critiques to the medical model and calls for a more pluralistic approach to addiction. Secondly, we discuss the problematic self-regulation of people with addiction from an existential positive perspective (also termed PP2.0). People with addiction, whether it is related to substance abuse, gambling, internet surfing, shopping or eating, usually manifest existential struggles that could account for the development and maintenance of their addiction. Relational problems, evasion of guilt and responsibility, and a lack of meaning in life have been evidenced in the literature. At the base of this psychological problem, there are both an inability to cope with the dark side of life and a maladaptive search for positive emotions that cannot be naturally obtained from meaningful social interactions. Finally, the meaning-centered approach (MCA) is proposed for addiction recovery. MCA helps clients find a purpose in life and integrate into society. This existential positive approach can be a fundamental complement for mainstream addiction treatments

Mental health inequalities increase as a function of COVID-19 pandemic severity levels

Rationale Current evidence suggests that mental health across the globe has suffered significantly during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and that disadvantaged communities are suffering these impacts more acutely. Lower income, female gender, and younger age have all been associated with worse psychopathology during COVID-19. Objective and methods The goal of this study was to determine whether these disparities are more pronounced in places where the pandemic is more severe. We analyzed self-report data and objective metrics from a large global sample (N = 11,227) in order to test the hypothesis that country-level severity of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between the target demographic variables (Subjective SES, gender and age) and psychopathology indicators. Results Severity of the pandemic emerged as a significant moderator of the relationship between these demographic variables and mental health outcomes. This pattern was extremely consistent for Subjective SES and gender, but slightly more nuanced for age. Conclusion Overall, we interpreted our data as suggesting that mental health disparities are greater in countries with more severe COVID-19 outbreaks. These findings are critical for understanding the ways that the ongoing pandemic is affecting global mental health, and contribute to the broader literature surrounding collective trauma

Cross-Cultural Psychometric Analysis of the Mature Happiness Scale-Revised: Mature Happiness, Psychological Inflexibility, and the PERMA Model

The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Mature Happiness Scale, a measure focused on inner harmony. Mature happiness is achieved when a person can live in balance between both positive and negative aspects of their life. A total sample of 2,130 participants from five countries (Canada: n = 390, United States: n = 223, United Kingdom: n = 512, Spain: n = 724, and Hungary: n = 281) responded to an online survey including the original Mature Happiness Scale, the PERMA-Profiler, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a one-factor solution with seven positive items (non-reversed). We called this new version of the questionnaire the Mature Happiness Scale-Revised (MHS-R). Measurement invariance was found across countries, age groups, gender, and mental disorder diagnosis. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were high. Older people, males, and people without a mental disorder diagnosis scored higher in mature happiness than younger ones, females, and those with a mental health disorder diagnosis, respectively. Mature happiness showed strong positive associations with various subscales of the PERMA-Profiler, specifically with positive emotions and meaning in life. In addition, mature happiness was strongly correlated with less negative affect and inner conflict and lower psychological inflexibility, whereas it was moderately correlated with lower loneliness. This validity evidence supports the cross-cultural use of the MHS-R in the aforementioned countries to reliably measure happiness among adults. With its holistic approach, the MHS-R may be a unique complement to other well-being measures, particularly to better predict mental health problems

Dealing With the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Portugal: On the Important Role of Positivity, Experiential Avoidance, and Coping Strategies

The global COVID-19 pandemic crisis has caused an unprecedented impact on most areas of people’s lives. Thus, framed within the scope of Existential Positive Psychology (PP2.0), this study aimed at assessing the psychological distress of adults living in Portugal during the first national lockdown, how they are coping with stress, as well to contribute to a deeper understanding about the role that positivity, experiential avoidance, and coping strategies have in psychological distress and well-being. For this purpose, 586 Portuguese adults (73% females) ranging between 18 and 78 years old (M = 38.96, SD = 12.20) completed an online survey during the initial phase of the pandemic crisis in Portugal. Findings suggest that experiential avoidance was the strongest predictor of a negative response (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and negative emotions), whereas positivity was a better predictor of psychological well-being and lower levels of depression. Additionally, self-blame, behavioral disengagement, and emotional venting were strong risk factors for psychological distress, whereas positive reframing, planning, and acceptance were associated with more positive outcomes. These findings highlight the critical role of experiential avoidance on individuals’ psychological distress and the essential contribution of positive life orientation in promoting flourishing. By offering a better understanding of the complex navigation through the dialectics between positive and negative life features, this study provides important and useful cues for psychological interventions directed at promoting a more positive and adaptive human functioning even through such potential adverse and painful life events