Research
Exploring Existential Questions – A Qualitative Analysis of Psychological Literature (2000-2023)
The systematic review and meta-analysis presented in this study aim to provide an overview of the literature on the meaning of life and existential vacuum within the contemporary field of psychology, investigating the approaches and methodologies employed in this area from 2000 to 2023. The review encompassed five databases, including CAPES portal, APA PsycArticles, SCOPUS, SCIELO, and PEPSIC, utilizing combinations of descriptors such as "existential vacuum" and "meaning of life," along with related terms, in conjunction with "mental health" and "clinical psychology," both in English and their respective Portuguese counterparts. The inclusion criteria involved selecting articles that centered on the themes of existential vacuum or meaning of life as the primary focus, published between 2000 and 2023, and written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. A total of 671 articles were initially identified, with 264 meeting the inclusion criteria and subsequently subjected to meta- analysis. These articles were categorized into various approaches: 191 employed quantitative methods, 46 were theoretical/ qualitative, 17 were empirical/qualitative, 7 used mixed methods, and 3 focused on interventions.
Unveiling the Depths of Existential Inquiry: A Qualitative Examination of Psychological Literature (2000-2023)
Introduction: This is a continuation of the previous article, “Exploring Existential Questions: A Comprehensive Review of Psychological Literature (2000-2023) – Part 1â€, the aim of which, following on from an analysis that was more quantitative in nature, is to present the results of a more in-depth analysis of the articles by means of a qualitative and/or mixed approach, published between 2000 and 2023, with the aim of understanding how Psychology has appropriated the themes of existential vacuum and meaning of life over this period. Method: Of the group of articles studied in Part I, only articles with qualitative or mixed approaches were analyzed in this second phase, in accordance with the following aspects: year of publication, theoretical references used in the articles, concepts employed in the studies, context and studied populations, emerging themes and relationship between the topic and psychotherapy, religiosity and spirituality. Results: Of the 264 articles selected in Part 1, 191 quantitative articles were excluded, leaving 73 articles with a qualitative or mixed approach, initially classified as follows: 46 theoretical/ qualitative, 17 empirical/qualitative, 7 mixed and 3 interventions.
