Lived Experience of Female Heads of Households about the Meaning
Subject Areas : Journal of Excellence in counseling and psychotherapy
Fatemeh Javadzadeh Shahshahani
1
,
elaheh shahini
2
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, KhomeiniShahr Branch, Islamic Azad University. KhomeiniShahr / Isfahan, Iran
2 -
Keywords: Meaning of life, women, head of household,
Abstract :
Purpose: Many theorists believe that finding the meaning of life is one of the most important human needs. Numerous studies have also shown the positive effects of meaningful life on physical and psychological health. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explore the meaning of life in female heads of households.
Methodology: The present study, by adopting a qualitative approach and using in-depth and semi-structured interview techniques and with regard to theoretical saturation, examined the meaning of life in this group with 15 female heads of households in Isfahan.
Findings: using qualitative coding, 70 initial codes were extracted and divided into 10 main categories. These categories included concepts such as "personal growth", "family relationships", "personal goals", "religious and spiritual concepts", "economic problems", "social support" and other relevant themes. The results showed that the meaning of life for individuals mainly depends on individual and social factors and most people search for the meaning of life in family relationships and personal progress. In addition, economic difficulties and lack of social support are among the most important barriers to finding meaning in life.
Conclusion: The present study is consistent with previous research and emphasizes the importance of considering different dimensions of meaning in psychological and social programs. Limitations of this study include limited sampling and lack of generalizability to the broader community, which will be considered in future research.
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