nach oben

Journal of Religion and Health

Erschienen in:

01.04.2016 | Original Paper

Religiosity, Meaning in Life and Suicidal Tendency Among Jews

verfasst von: Yael Wilchek-Aviad, Michal Malka

Erschienen in: Journal of Religion and Health | Ausgabe 2/2016

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

The study examines the impact that meaning in life, or lack thereof, has on suicidal tendencies among youth, as well as the nexus between level of religiosity, meaning in life and suicidal tendencies. Subjects were 450 students from both Jewish religious and Jewish secular schools aged 15–18. Findings: a significant and negative correlation was found between a sense of meaning in life and suicidal tendencies, beyond gender or level of religiosity. In addition, no difference was found in level of suicidal tendency between Jewish religious and Jewish secular youth; however, among Jewish religious teens, a lower level of depression was reported in comparison with their secular peers. The study therefore concludes that meaning in life is the dominant variable in minimizing suicidal tendencies among youth. The results of this study may promote the establishment of prevention, intervention and therapy plans, especially in the age range that is crucial for suicide. Such programs should be based upon finding meaning in life.

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480.CrossRefPubMed

Aviad-Wilchek, Y., Chasin, S., & Malka, M. (2012). The connection between the sense of meaning in life and leisure time activities, and suicidal tendencies. Hayoetz Hachinuchi, 17, 104–109.

Aviad-Wilchek, Y., & Cohenca, D. (2011). Learning about meaningful life as a way of coping with situations of stress and anxiety—The instance of second generation holocaust survivors. In N. Davidovitch & D. Soen (Eds.), The holocaust ethos in the 21st century: Dilemmas and challenges (pp. 51–70). Poland: Austeria.

Bar Lev, M. (1986). Religious education in Israeli society: Legend. Jerusalem: The Hebrew University Press. (Hebrew).

Batista, J., & Almond, R. (1973). The development of meaning at life. Psychiatry, 36, 409–427.

Bearman, S. K., & Stice, E. (2008). Testing a gender additive model: The role of body image in adolescent depression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(8), 1251–1263.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Beautrais, A. L. (2003). Life course factors associated with suicidal behaviors in young people. The American Behavioral Scientist, 46(9), 1137–1156.CrossRef

Crumbaugh, J. C., & Maholick, L. T. (1981). PIL (Purpose in life test). Abilene: Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy.

Debate, D. L. (1998). Measurement of personal meaning: The psychometric properties of the life regard index. In P. T. P. Wong & P. S. Pry (Eds.), The human quest for meaning: A handbook of psychological research and clinical application. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

De-Man, A., & Leduc, C. P. (1994). Validity and reliability of self-report suicide ideation scale for use with adolescents. Social Behavior and Personality, 22(3), 261–266.CrossRef

Dervic, K., Oquendo, M. A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S., Burke, A. K., & Mann, J. J. (2004). Religious affiliation and suicide attempt. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(12), 2303–2308.CrossRefPubMed

Durkheim, E. (1952). Suicide: A study in sociology. London: Routledge & Paul.

Edwards, M. J., & Holden, R. R. (2003). Coping, meaning in life, and suicidal manifestations: examining gender differences. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59(10), 1133–1150.CrossRef

Fabry, J. (1988). Guideposts to meaning: Discovering what really matters. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.

Fahlman, S. A., Mercer, K. B., Gaskovski, P., Eastwood, A. E., & Eastwood, J. D. (2009). Does a lack of life meaning cause boredom? Result from psychometric, longitudinal and experimental analyses. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(3), 307–340.CrossRef

Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2009). Preventing suicide: Developing meaning in life. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 23(4), 275–276.CrossRefPubMed

Frankl, V. E. (1969). The will to meaning: Foundations and applications of logotherapy. New York: World Publishing Company.

Frankl, V. E. (1978). The unheard cry for meaning: psychotherapy and humanism. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man’s search for meaning. New York: Washington Square Press.

Frankl, V. E. (2000). Man’s search for ultimate meaning. New York: MJF Books.

Galligan, S. B., Barnett, R. V., Brennan, M. A., & Israel, G. D. (2010). Understanding the link between gender role conflict, resilience, and propensity for suicide in adolescent and emerging adult males. International Journal of Men’s Health, 9(3), 201–211.CrossRef

Garrison, C. Z., McKeown, R. E., Valois, R. F., & Vincent, M. L. (1993). Aggression, substance use and suicidal behaviors in high school students. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 179–184.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Gearing, R. E., & Lizardi, D. (2009). Religion and suicide. Journal of Religion and Health, 48(3), 332–341.CrossRefPubMed

Haklai, Z. (2011). Suicide in Israel. The Ministry of Health: Jerusalem. (Hebrew).

Harris, T. E., & Lennings, C. J. (1993). Suicide and adolescence. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 37(3), 263–270.CrossRef

Heisel, M. J., & Flett, G. L. (2004). Purpose in life, satisfaction with life, and suicide ideation in a clinical sample. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26(2), 127–135.CrossRef

Ivtzan, I., Chan, C. P. L., Gardner, H. E., & Prashar, K. (2013). Linking religion and spirituality with psychological well-being: Examining self-actualisation, meaning in life, and personal growth initiative. Journal of Religion and Health, 52(3), 915–929.CrossRefPubMed

Klinger, E. (1977). Meaning and void. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota.

Krause, N. (2003). Race, religion, and abstinence from alcohol in late life. Journal of Aging and Health, 15, 508–533.CrossRefPubMed

Lantz, J., & Div, R. A. M. (1994). Meaning and the family life cycle. Journal of Religion and Health, 33(2), 163–172.CrossRefPubMed

Lester, D., & Badro, S. (1992). Depression, suicidal preoccupation and purpose in Life in a Subclinical population. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 75–76.CrossRef

Levinson, D., Haklai, Z., Stein, N., & Ethel-Sherry, G. (2006). Suicide attempts in Israel: Age by gender analysis of a national emergency departments database. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 36(1), 97–102.CrossRef

Lucas, E. (1986). Meaning in suffering: Comfort in crisis through logotherapy. Berkeley: Institute of Logotherapy Press.

Maris, R. W., Berman, A. L., & Silverman, M. W. (2000). Comprehensive textbook of suicidology. N.Y.: Guilford Press.

Martin, T., Kirkcaldy, B., & Siefen, G. (2003). Antecedents of adult wellbeing: Adolescent religiosity and health. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 18(5), 453–470.CrossRef

Morgan, J., & Farsides, T. (2007). Measuring meaning in life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 197–214.CrossRef

Mukamal, K., & Miller, M. (2009). Preview BMI and risk factors for suicide: Why is BMI inversely related to suicide. Obesity, 17(3), 532–538.CrossRefPubMed

Orbach, I., Mikulincer, M., Gilboa-Schechtman, E., & Sirota, P. (2003). Mental pain and its relationship to suicidality and life meaning. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 33(3), 231–241.CrossRefPubMed

Pargament, K. I. (1997). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, and practice. New York: Guilford.

Parker, G., & Hadzi-Pavlovic, D. (2004). Is the female preponderance in major depression secondary to a gender difference in specific anxiety disorders? Psychological Medicine, 34(3), 461–470.CrossRefPubMed

Peter, T., & Roberts, L. W. (2010). ‘Bad’ boys and ‘Sad’ girls? Examining internalizing and externalizing effects on parasuicides among youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(10), 495–504.CrossRefPubMed

Pritchard, C. (1995). Suicide–the ultimate rejection?. Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Reinherz, H. Z., Giaconia, R. M., Silverman, A. B., Friedman, A., Pakiz, B., Frost, A. K., & Cohen, E. (1995). Early psychosocial risks for adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(5), 599–611.CrossRefPubMed

Reker, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (1988). Aging as an individual process: Toward a theory of personal meaning. New York: Springer.

Sheleg, Y. (2000). The new religious. Jerusalem: Keter. (Hebrew).

Tomer, A., Eliason, G. T., & Wong, P. T. P. (Eds.). (2008). Existentialism and spiritual issues in death attitudes. NJ: Erllbaum.

Tukir, L., & Court, D. (2007). The search for meaning: Life stories of child survivors of the theresienstadt ghetto. Megamot, 45(2), 272–300. (Hebrew).

Wolf, Y., Katz, S., & Nachson, I. (1995). Meaning of life as perceived by drug abusing people. International Journal of Offender and Comparative Criminology, 31, 121–137.CrossRef

Wong, P. T. P. (2010). Meaning therapy: An integrative and positive existential psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 40, 85–93.CrossRef

World Health Organization. (2013). Suicide global facts. www.who.org.

Zheng, W. K. (1974). Index of Potential Suicide (IPS). A rating scale for suicide prevention. A. T. Beck, H. L. Resnik., & D. J. Lettieri (Eds.), The prediction of suicide (pp. 221–249). Maryland: Charles press.

Titel: Religiosity, Meaning in Life and Suicidal Tendency Among Jews
verfasst von: Yael Wilchek-Aviad
Michal Malka
Publikationsdatum: 01.04.2016
Verlag: Springer US
Erschienen in: Journal of Religion and Health / Ausgabe 2/2016
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Elektronische ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9996-y

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 2/2016

Pedagogy and Purpose: Moral Imagination and the Teaching of Medical Ethics

Muslims and Medical Ethics: Time to Move Forward by Going Back

Mothers’ Experiences with Pastoral Care in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse

Islam, Assisted Reproduction, and the Bioethical Aftermath

Spiritual Religious Coping is Associated with Quality of Life in Institutionalized Older Adults

Opinions on the Legitimacy of Brain Death Among Sunni and Shi’a Scholars