Structure and Contents of the Value and Meaning System of Mentally Ill Patients with the Religious Outlook

Abstract

The purpose of the study described in the article is to elicit value and meaning elements and to describe their structure in mentally ill patients with the religious outlook. The assumptions that the value and meaning system (VMS) of believing patients and non-believing ones differ are put forward. Four groups of subjects participate in the study: “Orthodox patients” (N = 24, 9 men and 14 women, age m = 26.7 ± 6); “Unbelieving patients” (N = 12 people, 3 men and 9 women, age m = 28.9 ± 7.6); “Healthy Orthodox believers” (N = 15 people, 4 men and 11 women, age m = 30.2 ± 6.4); “Healthy unbelievers” (N = 14 people, 5 men and 9 women, age m = 29.7 ± 5.1). G. Kelly’s methodology of personal constructs is applied in the study to assess the VMS: the triad method, Hinkle’s Laddering technique, and the repertory grid technique. The results show that the VMS of mentally ill patients with the religious outlook is characterized (in the structural aspect) by a greater mutual connection of value and meaning elements than in patients who do not believe. In comparison with believing patients, the unbelieving ones display significant disintegration and reduction of multiplicity of interrelationships between various value and meaning elements. The stability of the structure and key elements in the contents of the VMS in believing patients are probably explained by their special religious attitude to the disease as well as by the possibility, despite the disease, to actualize the meaning of life though the reaching for God.

Keywords

• value and meaning system
• meaning structures
• personal constructs
• mental illness
• schizophrenia
• religious outlook