The present thesis entitled The Meaning of Life Seniors permanently bedridden. The author has several aims: to define the concept of the meaning of life, quality of life, aging and age; determine the biological, psychological, social and spiritual changes in old age; map social and health services that can benefit the elderly bedridden; and find out how seniors perceive home in the home enviroment and in the institution. The thesis is divided into theoretical and research part. In the theoretical part in first three chapters there is determined the meaning of life, especially in relation to the categories of values defined by V. E. Frankl, further aging and age and environment for the conclusion of life: home versus institutions. In the fourth chapter, which is part of the research, the author conducted qualitative research by analyzing data from interviews with elderly bound to bed. Research includes six respondents, three respondents living in the home and three respondents living in a home for the elderly. The aim of the research was to determine whether seniors permanently bedridden perceive the meaning of life, or what. The results are summarized in the conclusion.

Enhancing Quality of Life: The Effects of Positive Cognitions by Claudine Antoniette Gerald M.S., Walden University, 2009 B.S., Florida Atlantic University, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy General Psychology Walden University August 2015 The purpose of this study was to test the nature of the relationship among cognitive factors to determine quality of life in a sample of 180 adult internet users. Theories of the positive psychology paradigm, salutogenesis, dynamic equilibrium model, family systems, and family resilience theories were the bases for examining the relative significance of the cognitive factors, positive illusions, optimism, perception of control, meaning in life, resilience, and sense of coherence to the development of quality of life. Factor analysis revealed the order of significance of these variables from the most influential to least influential: sense of coherence, meaning in life, positive illusions, perception of control, resilience, and optimism. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that positive illusions have a negative influence on quality of life β = -0.198, t = -2.36, F = 5.58, p = 0.02. Standard multiple regression analysis indicated that these cognitive factors do not significantly contribute to quality of life when grouped together. These findings corroborate current research that cognitive factors do not work alone in enhancing quality of life and there must be a balance along factors on other levels, such as psychological, physiological, behavioral, and sociocultural to enhance quality of life. Social change may be influenced by this study's unique and exclusive emphasis on the effects of cognitive factors, demonstrating the relative significance of these cognitive factors, individually and combined, for the promotion of quality of life. This study has filled two research gaps because positive cognitions had not been studied together and the association between positive illusions and the known quality of life promoting cognitive factors needed clarification.

What is the meaning of life? This has been one of the major questions of philosophy for centuries / from Socrates to Nietzsche and from Tolstoy to the famous comedy writers&rsquo / group Monty Python. People from diverse intellectual backgrounds asked what the meaning of life is. Although there are doubts that this question is now outdated, meaning of life seems to me still an intriguing subject. In this thesis I argue that life&rsquo / s meaning must be discussed according to two different notions. One of these notions is the content of life where life&rsquo / s meaning can be analyzed according to its coherence with a value system, its achievements or its influence on others. The other is the notion of life&rsquo / s meaning as a mental concept, as an experience. I provide reasons to think life&rsquo / s meaning as a composite mental state and propose its components. My point of view carries subjectivist implications, however by introducing necessary conditions of the formation of the composite mental state that provides a life with meaning I argue that such a mental state attains objectivity.

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti sergančių onkologine liga asmenų, vyrų ir moterų, ligos suvokimo sąsajas su gyvenimo prasme ir ligos įveikos strategijomis. Tyrimui atlikti naudota: Ligos suvokimo klausimynas (Weinman, Petrie, Moss-Morris, Horne, 1996; Weinman, Petrie, 1997) (angl. The Revised-Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ–R), siekiant nustatyti vėžiu sergančių asmenų ligos suvokimą; Gyvenimo prasmės skalė (Jim et al., 2006) (angl. Meaning in Life Scale, MiLS), skirta tiriamųjų gyvenimo prasmės įvertinimui; COPE streso įveikimo strategijų klausimynas Carver, Scheier, Weintraub, 1989) (angl. Coping Orientation of Problem Experience Inventory, COPE), siekiant nustatyti tiriamųjų pasirinktas ligos įveikos strategijas. Gauti duomenys apdoroti naudojant statistinį SPSS 16,0 versijos programinį paketą. Statistiškai patikimais rezultatais laikytini atvejai, kai p < 0,05, P = 95 proc. Tyrime dalyvavo 142 (22–74 metų) onkologinėmis ligomis sergantys vyrai ir moterys. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad onkologine liga sergančių asmenų, vyrų ir moterų, stipresnis ligos suvokimas siejasi su dažniau naudojama adaptyvia, į problemas nukreipta ligos įveika; onkologine liga sergančių asmenų, vyrų ir moterų, stipresnis ligos suvokimas siejasi su aukštesne gyvenimo prasme; onkologine liga sergantiems asmenims, vyrams ir moterims, pasižymintiems stipresniu ligos suvokimu ir adaptyvia, į emocijas nukreipta ligos įveika, būdinga žemesnė gyvenimo prasmė. / The aim of the research is to identify oncology patients’, men and women, relation of illness perception to the meaning in life, the coping strategies of illness. References for research: The Revised-Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ–R (Weinman, Petrie, Moss-Morris, Horne, 1996; Weinman, Petrie, 1997) in order to identify oncology patients’ illness perception; Meaning in Life Scale, MiLS (Jim et al., 2006) for evaluation of research participants’ meaning in life; Coping Orientation of Problem Experience Inventory, COPE (Carver, Scheier, Weintraub, 1989) in order to identify the coping strategies of illness chosen by research participants. The received data was processed while using a statistical SPSS software package. Statistically reliable cases werw considered when p < 0,05, P = 95%. 142 people (22-74years old), men and women with oncologic illnesses participated in the research. The research results have revealed that a stronger illness perception of men and women with oncologic illness is associated with a more frequently used adaptive, problem-focused coping of illness; a stronger illness perception of men and women with oncologic illness is associated with a higher meaning in life; a lower meaning in life is typical for those oncology patients, men and women, who have a stronger illness perception and adaptive, emotion - focused illness coping.

Tyrimo tikslas: atskleisti vėžiu sergančių ir sveikų suaugusių žmonių nerimo, depresijos, sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir gyvenimo prasmės ryšius. Tyrimo uždaviniai: palyginti vėžiu sergančių pacientų nerimo, depresijos, sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir gyvenimo prasmės rodiklių įverčius pagal: 1) lytį, 2) amžių, 3) depresijos išreikštumą (8 balai HAD skalėje) ir 4) gydymo pobūdį. 5) Palyginti vėžiu sergančių ir sveikų (kontrolinės grupės) tiriamųjų nerimo, depresijos, sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir gyvenimo prasmės rodiklius. 6) Nustatyti vėžiu sergančių tiriamųjų nerimo, depresijos, sveikatos kontrolės lokuso ir gyvenimo prasmės tarpusavio ryšį. Tyrimo metodai: Ligoninės nerimo ir depresijos skalė (Hospital Anxiety and Depression - HAD) (Zigmond, Snaith, 1983); Daugiadimensinė sveikatos kontrolės lokuso skalė (Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale – MHLOC) (Wallston et al., 1978); Gyvenimo prasmės skalė (Meaning in Life Scale - MiLS) (Jim et al., 2006). MHLC skalę sudaro trys subskalės: vidinė kontrolė, atsitiktinumas ir kitų poveikis. HAD skalę sudaro dvi subskalės: nerimas ir depresija. MiLS skalę sudaro keturios subskalės: harmonija, gyvenimo tikslai, dvasingumas ir sumažėjusi gyvenimo prasmė. Tiriamieji: n = 63 vėžiu sergtantys pacientai, kurių amžiaus vidurkis 64.87 (SD = 9.03) ir n = 63 kontrolinės grupės tiriamieji, kurių amžiaus vidurkis 63.73 (SD=9.321). Tyrimo rezultatai: moterys daugiau negu vyrai įžvelgia gyvenimo prasmės (t (61) = 1.992, p =0.052) ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Purpose: The purpose of the presented study was to examine links between anxiety, depression, health locus of control and meaning in life in cancer patients and healthy adults. Objectives: to compare the rates of cancer patients’ anxiety, depression, health locus of control and meaning in life according to: 1) gender; 2) age, 3) significance of depression (8 points in HAD scale) and 4) treatment methods. 5) to compare the rates of cancer and healthy controls anxiety, depression, health locus of control and meaning in life. 6) to find links between anxiety, depression, health locus of control and meaning in life in cancer patients’ population. Methods: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale (Wallston et al., 1978); Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale (Zigmond, Snaith, 1983) and Meaning in Life (MiLS) scale (Jim et al., 2006). MHLC scale provides three-dimension measures of health locus of control: Internality; Chance; Powerful Others. HAD scale has two subscales: anxiety and depression. MiLS scale consists of 4 dimensions: Harmony; Life purposes; Spirituality and Lessened meaning. Participants: The sample consisted of n = 63 cancer patients mean age 64.87 (SD = 9.03) and healthy controls n = 63 mean age 63.73 (SD=9.321). The results of research are: Women more than men experience meaning in life (t (61) = 1.992, p =0.052) and spirituality (t (61) = 2.167, p =0.034). Cancer patients after operation believe in powerful others more than patients before... [to full text]

This research sought to clarify the construct of life meaning by creating a new, multidimensional measure of life meaning. In an initial study, 392 university undergraduates (317 women, 75 men) completed several existing life meaning measures. Exploratory factor analytic procedures undertaken on the item responses supported the extraction of 10 factors: Achievement, Framework/Purpose, Religion, Death Acceptance, Interpersonal Satisfaction, Fulfillment/Excitement, Giving to the World, Existential Vacuum, Intimacy, and Control. Of the original 170 items, the 64 items with the highest factor loadings were retained, and together comprise the Multidimensional Life Meaning Scale (MLMS). Higher-order exploratory factor analyses yielded three factors: Personal Efficacy, Self-Transcendence, and Fulfillment. A second study, conducted with an independent sample of undergraduate students (N = 262; 200 women, 62 men), provided mixed support for the factor structure of the MLMS at the item level, but replicated the higher-order factor structure revealed in the initial study. The criterion-related (concurrent and discriminant) validity was also examined in the second study, by factor analyzing the MLMS factors along with criterion subscales thought to be related to life meaning, and support was found for 7 of the 10 first-order factors. In a final study, support was found for the existence of group differences that were hypothesized on the basis of rational links to interpreted higher-order dimensions of life meaning. In accordance with predictions, Theology students (n = 28) reported higher levels of Self-Transcendence and depressed students (n = 31) indicated lower levels of Fulfillment compared to a baseline group of undergraduate students (n = 262). Contrary to expectations, Law/Business students (n =35) were not significantly different from the baseline group on Personal Efficacy. Based on the results of these three studies, it is concluded that the life meaning construct is multidimensional. The Multidimensional Life Meaning Scale is a promising measure of the construct, and the inclusion of both lower-order and higher-order factors is a new way of conceptualizing life meaning. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-08-14 13:59:44.903

FIZINĘ NEGALIĄ TURINČIŲ ŽMONIŲ GYVENIMO PRASMĖS PATYRIMAS Situacijoje, kai žmogaus fizinės galios yra reikšmingai apribotos, vieninteliai tikri pagalbos resursai gali būti dvasiniai. Būtent tai, kas nepaisant praradimų padeda žmogui jausti pasitenkinimą gyvenimu ir savimi, kame jis įžvelgia stiprybės ir atspirties šaltinius, kas jo gyvenimą, nepaisant praradimų, daro vertingu, tai, ko negalia neatėmė ir negalės atimti – gyvenimo prasmės šaltiniai. Šiame darbe siekiame geriau suprasti žmonių, patyrusių fizinę negalią išgyvenimus, giliau panagrinėti jų subjektyvų gyvenimo prasmės patyrimą. Tam tikslui taikėme fenomenologinį analizės metodą pagal R. H. Hycner’į. Tyrimo dalyviai yra tikslinės atrankos principu atrinkti keturi vyrai ir keturios moterys, kurių amžius svyruoja nuo 29 iki 57 metų, patyrę sunkią fizinę negalią ilgiau nei prieš metus ir sutikę dalyvauti mūsų tyrime. Remiantis gautais rezultatais, galime teigti, kad beveik visi tyrime dalyvavę žmonės gyvenimą su negalia laiko kokybiškai skirtingu nuo prieš tai buvusio: jis siejasi su veiklos galimybių, o kai kuriems tyrimo dalyviams labiausiai vertinamų, apribojimu, bejėgiškumo, priklausomybės, pažeidžiamumo, vidinės dezorganizacijos ir mirties grėsmės išgyvenimais. Gyvenimo su negalia prasmės patyrimas, kaip jis atsispindi mūsų tyrimo dalyvių pasakojimuose, pasireiškia sveikatos ir rūpinimosi ja svarbos suvokimu, vertinant sveikatos atkūrimą ir išlaikymą kaip vieną prasmingiausių užsiėmimų; įvertinimu to, ką asmuo yra... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / THE MEANING OF LIFE AS EXPERIENCED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY When one’s physical abilities are considerably restricted, one’s spirit becomes the sole source of support. That which makes life fulfilling and worthwhile despite one’s losses, that which serves as a source of strength and resilience, that which disability can never take away, - all this is precisely what gives life its meaning. This paper seeks to attain greater insight into the experiences of the physically disabled. It also aims to analyse their subjective understanding of what makes life meaningful. In order to achieve these purposes, we have employed the method of phenomenological analysis devised by R. H. Hycner. The participants, four men and four women aged 29-57, were selected by means of objective sampling and agreed to take part in the stidy. All of them have experienced severe physical disability for at least a year. The results allow us to maintain that almost all the participants consider life to be qualitatively different for a disabled person, as opposed to a non-disabled one: namely, one’s ability to take part in various activities is compromised (for some, these are precisely the activities they used to treasure most), and, what is more, one becomes prone to feelings of helplessness, dependency, vulnerability, inner disaragement and fear of death. The interviews conducted with our participants illustrate that, for the physically disabled, a meaningful life entails understanding the... [to full text]

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:02:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 753418 bytes, checksum: ee3a4f743e51c279a744f9bbd342a25e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-22 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This study started from the assumption that religiosity is associated with culpability, since, for some religions, the emphasis on sin and on purification rites is part of its salvific cosmovision. This way, the goal of this study is to know the relations between the dimensions of guilt (subjective, objective and temporal), religious attitudes and the meaning of life. 213 academic students (of Science of Religions, Pedagogy and Accounting) took part in the research. Despite of, the majority of respondents was of the Protestant religion (33,8%) and female (70,4%). The age average was 28,5 (SD=9,9), ranging from 18 to 63 years old. The data were collected through the following instruments: Religious Attitude Scale, Meaning of Life Questionnaire, Guilt Multidimensional Scale, Ontological Time Perception Scale and a socialdemographic questionnaire. The results suggest that both the religious feeling and the search for meaning are directly associated with the three dimensions of guilt. The religious corporeity, however, is positively correlated with subjective and objective guilts. In turn, the religious behavior is correlated with subjective guilt. The results also indicate that the presence of meaning is inversely related to temporal guilt, and the item there is a long distance between who I am and who I could be is associated with both subjective and temporal guilts. Such findings are discussed in light of Viktor Frankl s existential analysis. It was concluded that, if on the one hand more religious people are more susceptible to culpability, on the other hand guilt also comes from the ontological perspective, when human being fails to peform his duty-being. / O presente estudo partiu do pressuposto de que a religiosidade está associada com a culpabilidade, tendo em vista que, para algumas religiões, a ênfase no pecado e nos ritos de purificação faz parte de sua cosmovisão salvífica. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho é o de conhecer as relações entre as dimensões da culpa (subjetiva, objetiva e temporal), as atitudes religiosas e o sentido da vida. Participaram da pesquisa 213 estudantes universitários dos cursos de Ciências das Religiões, Pedagogia e Contabilidade. Não obstante, a maioria dos entrevistados era da religião protestante (33,8%) e do sexo feminino (70,4%). A média de idade foi a de 28,5 (dp = 9,9), com amplitude de 18 a 63 anos. Os dados foram coletados por meio dos seguintes instrumentos: Escala de Atitude Religiosa, Questionário Sentido de Vida, Escala Multidimensional da Culpa, Escala de Percepção Ontológica do Tempo e um questionário sóciodemográfico. Os resultados sugerem que tanto o sentimento religioso quanto a busca de sentido se associaram diretamente com as três dimensões da culpa. Já a corporeidade religiosa se correlacionou positivamente com a culpa subjetiva, com a objetiva e o comportamento religioso, por sua vez, correlacionou com a culpa subjetiva. Os resultados também indicam que a presença de sentido está inversamente relacionada com a culpa temporal e o item "há uma grande distância entre quem eu sou e quem eu poderia ser" se associa tanto com a culpa subjetiva quanto com a culpa temporal. Tais achados são discutidos à luz da análise existencial de Viktor Frankl. Concluiu-se que, se por um lado, as pessoas mais religiosas são mais susceptíveis à culpabilidade, por outro, a culpa provém também da perspectiva ontológica, quando o ser humano deixa de realizar o seu dever-ser.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:02:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1045810 bytes, checksum: 89ccddf6f44d1f76a5417d925d644089 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-01 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This present study had as objective to identify the correlations between religiosity, meaning of life and values in religious people. This research also verified the congruence between personal values and perceived values of religious intituition and the influence of this congruence causes at meaning of life in religious people. To do this research, we used the Viktor Frankl s Logotherapy, the Value Funcionalist Theory and the religiosity, by Religious Atitude Scale, of Aquino. This research was divided in two studies. 196 people, both sex, partipated of first study. 54 people was male (24,6%) and 142 female (72,4%). The mean age was 32, being the youngest 18 years old and the oldest 73 years old. The research had as inclusion criteria the participants belong to any religion. Most of the respondants were of evangelic religions, corresponding to 61,7% of respondentes. We used the Religious Attitude Scale, the Basic Values Questionnaire and the Purpose in life Test as intruments for data collection of this research. four dimensions were extracted from the EAR-20: Religious Knowledge, religious corporeality, religious sentiment, and religious behavior. We identified positive correlations between religious knowledge, religious sentiment and religious behavior dimensions and meaning of life as well as positive correlations between the interacional subfunction and the religious feeling and religious corporeality dimensions. It was concluded that greater religious orientation is a way to find the meaning of life. Participated in the second study 209 people, of both sexes, being 144 (67%) female and 70 (32.6%) male. The average age of participants was 29 years, with 18 years old the youngest participant and the oldest 65 years old. The majority (n = 130) reported to belong to the Catholic religion, with 66 participants belonging to the Evangelical religion, 16 and Spiritualists 2 people reported belonging to other religions. The congruence of personal values and religion values regarding normative and suprapersonal subfunctions positively influences the feeling of accomplishment of meaning in religious people. Religious people that also to have a greater sense of accomplishment meaning to give more importance to personal values consistent with the interactional subfunction that those who perceive the same values as most important to their religion. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar as correlações entre a religiosidade, sentido de vida e valores em pessoas religiosas. Esta pesquisa também verificou o índice de congruência entre os valores pessoais e os valores percebidos da instituição religiosa e qual a influencia que a congruência entre os valores exercem sobre o sentido de vida em pessoas religiosas. Para realizar esta pesquisa utilizou como aporte teórico a Logoterapia de Viktor Frankl, a Teoria Funcionalista dos Valores Humanos e a religiosidade, por meio da Escala de Atitude Religiosa, de Aquino. Esta pesquisa foi dividida em dois estudos. Participaram do primeiro estudo 196 pessoas de ambos os sexos, sendo 54 do sexo masculino (24,6%) e 142 do sexo feminino (72,4%). A idade média foi de 32 anos, sendo o participante mais jovem 18 anos e o mais velho com 73. A pesquisa teve como critério de inclusão os participantes da pesquisa pertencerem a alguma religião. A maioria dos sujeitos entrevistados era de religião evangélica, correspondendo a 61,7% dos entrevistados.. Utilizou-se a Escala de Atitude Religiosa, o Questionário dos Valores Básicos e o Purpose in Life test como instrumentos de coleta de dados desta pesquisa. Quatro dimensões foram extraídas a partir da EAR-20: Conhecimento Religioso, corporeidade religiosa, sentimento religioso e comportamento religioso. Identificou-se correlações positivas entre as dimensões conhecimento religioso, sentimento religioso e comportamento religioso e sentido de vida, assim como correlações positivas entre a subfunção interacional e as dimensões sentimento religioso e corporeidade religiosa. Concluiu-se que uma maior orientação religiosa é uma forma de encontro de sentido da vida. Participaram do segundo estudo 209 pessoas, de ambos os sexos, sendo 144 (67%) do sexo feminino e 70 (32,6%) do sexo masculino. A idade média entre os participantes foi de 29 anos, tendo 18 anos o participante mais jovem e 65 anos o mais velho. A maioria (n=130) declararam pertencer a religião Católica, sendo 66 dos participantes pertencentes à religião Evangélica, 16 Espíritas e 2 pessoas relataram pertencer a outras religiões. A congruência dos valores pessoais e da religião referentes às subfunções normativa e suprapessoal influencia positivamente no sentimento de realização de sentido em pessoas religiosas. As pessoas religiosas também tem um maior sentimento de realização de sentido ao darem mais importância aos valores pessoais condizentes com a subfunção interacionais que aqueles que percebem os mesmos valores como mais importantes para a suas religião.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-17T15:02:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 790675 bytes, checksum: c3dd240abd6af72acd14794d2c5e74ff (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Suffering is a human condition that is linked to the search for meaning. From this perspective, religions have, in general, a worldview that encompasses both the meaning of life and the meaning of suffering. In this sense, the present work had as main objective to construct and validate an instrument on Attitude Towards Suffering and ascertain the relationship between the attitude towards the suffering and the perception of the meaning of life according to three religious groups: Buddhists, Catholics and Evangelicals. For this purpose, we conducted two studies. The study 1 was composed of 319 participants of both sexes with a mean age of 27.07 years. As instruments for data collection was built Questionnaire Attitude Towards Suffering (QATS) and a Socio-demographic Questionnaire. We carried out a factor analysis of the principal axes with varimax rotation, the results of this extraction suggest the presence of two factors: positive attitude towards suffering and negative attitude towards the suffering, with Cronbach's Alpha, respectively, 0.84 and 0.64. Study 2 was composed of 113 participants of both sexes, with 53 practitioners of Buddhism and 60 Christians (30 Catholics and Evangelicals 30), with an average of 37.3 years. In addition to the scales used in study 1, was added Meaning in Life Questionnaire Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). An association between the presence of Sense and Positive Attitude Towards Suffering (r = 0.21, p <0.03) was observed and a negative correlation between the search for meaning and fulfillment (r = - 0.34, p <0.0001). Regarding the positive attitude towards the suffering it was found that the average among Catholics, Evangelicals and practitioners of Buddhism differ from each other with respect to Negative Attitude, neither significant difference was observed between the means of the groups studied. These results are discussed in light of the existential analysis of Viktor Frankl / O sofrimento é uma condição humana que está vinculada a busca de significados. Nessa perspectiva, as religiões apresentam, de forma geral, uma cosmovisão que abrange tanto o sentido da vida quanto o sentido do sofrimento. Neste sentido, a presente dissertação teve como objetivos principais construir e validar um instrumento sobre Atitude Perante o Sofrimento e averiguar as relações entre a atitude perante o sofrimento, a percepção do sentido da vida em função de três grupos religiosos: budistas, católicos e evangélicos. Para tanto, foram realizados dois estudos, o estudo 1, foi constituído por 319 participantes de ambos os sexos e com a média de idade de 27,07 anos. Como instrumentos para coleta de dados foi construído o Questionário de Atitude Perante o Sofrimento (QAPS) e um Questionário Sócio-demográfico. Procedeu-se uma Análise fatorial dos eixos principais com rotação varimax, os resultados dessa extração sugerem a presença de dois fatores: atitude positiva perante o sofrimento e atitude negativa perante o sofrimento, com Alpha de Cronbach, respectivamente, 0,84 e 0,64. O estudo 2, foi composto por 113 participantes de ambos os sexos, sendo 53 Praticantes do Budismo e 60 Cristãos (30 Católicos e 30 Evangélicos), com idade média de 37,3 anos. Além das escalas utilizadas no estudo 1, foi acrescido o Questionário Sobre o Sentido da Vida (QSV). Foi constatada uma associação entre a presença de sentido e a Atitude Positiva Perante o Sofrimento (r = 0,21; p < 0,03) e uma correlação negativa entre a busca e a realização de sentido (r = 0,34, p < 0,0001). No que se refere a atitude positiva perante o sofrimento verificou-se que as médias entre os Católicos, os Evangélicos e os Praticantes do Budismo diferenciam entre si, com relação à Atitude Negativa, nenhuma diferença significativa foi verificada entre as médias dos grupos estudados. Esses resultados são discutidos à luz da análise existencial de Viktor Frankl