The meaning of life in members of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, their religious/spiritual activity and the level of happiness
Keywords:
self-help groups, meaning of life, religiosity/spirituality, happiness, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA)Abstract
Introduction. Sex and love addiction is a significant social problem regarding especially individuals having a tendency to various types of addictions. Like other forms of addiction, sex and love addiction is related to all areas of life, which leads to worsening of the quality of life. The development of the religious/spiritual sphere seems to be a relevant factor for sex and love addicts to recover and improve their quality of life.
Aim. The aim of this study was to examine whether the feeling of the sense of life is related to some aspects of religiosity/spirituality and happiness operationalized with global indicators such as the desire to live, passion of life, sense of happiness within the last few days, overall life evaluation, sense of hopelessness as well as the present and anticipated life satisfaction.
Materials and methods. The sample comprised 30 participants of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) fellowships. The following tools were used: the Purpose in Life Test (PIL), Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORFQ), Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES), Cantril’s Ladder, Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), one-item scales concerning the desire to live, passion of life and sense of happiness within the last few days, overall evaluation of life and the frequency of prayer and frequency of Mass attendance.
Results. Relationships were observed between the feeling of the sense of life and almost all global measures of happiness, including passion of life, overall life evaluation, the present and anticipated life satisfaction, as well as the sense of hopelessness. The frequency of prayer and strength of religious faith were negative predictors of the sense of hopelessness. The meaning of life mediated between the frequency of spiritual experiences and the sense of hopelessness.
Conclusions. The meaning of life is an important factor shaping sex addicts’ sense of happiness. The SLAA members’ spiritual experiences are the source of the sense of the meaning of life.
References
1. Woronowicz BT. Uzależnienia. Geneza, terapia i powrót do zdrowia. Poznań: Media i Rodzina; 2009.
2. Anonimowi Uzależnieni od Seksu i Miłości. Wspólnota Augustyńska SLAA.
3. Carnes P. Od nałogu do miłości. Jak uwolnić się od uzależnienia od seksu i odnaleźć prawdziwe uczucie. Poznań: Media Rodzina; 2001.
4. www.slaa.pl
5. Dwanaście Kroków i Dwanaście Tradycji. Warszawa: Fundacja Biura Służby Krajowej Anonimowych Alkoholików w Polsce; 1986.
6. Chlewiński Z. Rola religii w funkcjonowaniu osobowości. W: Chlewiński Z (red.) Psychologia religii. Lublin: TN KUL; 1982.
7. Chlewiński Z. Z badań obrazu religii w świadomości społecznej. Więź 1980;2:13-31.
8. Mądrzycki T. Osobowość jako system tworzący i realizujący plany. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego; 2002.
9. Wnuk M. Weryfikacja modelu ze zmiennymi pośredniczącymi pomiędzy religijnością i dobrostanem psychicznym Anonimowych Alkoholików. Alkoh i Narkom 2010;23:73-85.
10. Galanter M. Spirituality and recovery in 12-step programs: An empirical model. J Subst Abuse Treat 2007;33:265–72.
11. Frankl V. Paradoksy szczęścia. Życie i Myśl 1977;1:33-45.
12. Wnuk M. Zaangażowanie w ruch samopomocy a poczucie jakości życia osób uzależnionych od alkoholu. Mediacyjna rola poczucia życia. Alkoh i Narkom 2006;19:357-68.
13. Tatarkiewicz W. O szczęściu. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe; 1979.
14. Ryan RM, Deci EL. On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudajmonic research. Annu Rev Psychol 2001;52:141-66.
15. Duckworth AE, Steen TA, Seligman MEP. Positive psychology in clinical practice. Ann Rev Clin Psychol 2005; 1: 629-51.
16. Veenhoven R. Hedonism and happiness. J Happiness Stud 2003;4:437-57.
17. Bradburn NM. The Structure of Psychological Well-being. Aldine. Chicago 1969.
18. Andrews FM, Withey SB. Social Indicators of Well-being: America’s Perception of Quality of Life. Plenum. New York 1976.
19. Campbell AC, Converse PE, Rodgers WL. The Quality of American Life. The Russell Sage Foundation, New York 1976.
20. Diener E, Suh EM, Lucas RE, Smith HL. Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress, Psychol Bull 1999;125:276–302.
21. Wnuk M. Nadzieja jako pozytywny korelat szczęścia wśród Anonimowych Uzależnionych od Seksu i Miłości. Seksuologia Polska 2008;6:51–6.
22. Czapiński J. Psychologia szczęścia: przegląd badań teorii cebulowej. Warszawa- Poznań: Akademos; 1992.
23. Cekiera Cz. Toksykomania. Narkomania. Lekomania. Alkoholizm. Nikotynizm. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwa Naukowe; 1985.
24. Crumbaugh JC, Maholic LT. An experimental study an existentialism, the psychometric approach to Frankl’s concept of noogenic neurosis. J Clin Psychol 1964;20:200-7.
25. Siek S. Wybrane metody badania osobowości. Warszawa: Akademia Teologii Katolickiej; 1993.
26. Lewis CA, Shevlin M, McGuckin C, Navratil M. The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire: confirmatory factor analysis. Pastoral Psychol 2001;49:379-84.
27. Plante TG, Boccaccini MT. Reliability and Validity of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Pastoral Psychol 1997;45:429-37.
28. Plante TG, Boccaccini MT. The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Pastoral Psychol 1997;45:375-87.
29. Loustalot F, Wyatt SB, Boss B, May W, McDyess T. Psychometric Examination of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale. J Cult Divers 2006;13:162-7.
30. Czapiński J. Psychologia pozytywna. Nauka o szczęściu, zdrowiu, sile i cnotach człowieka. Warszawa: PWN; 2004.
31. Kivett E, Palmore E. Change in Life Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study of Persons Aged 46-70. J Gerontol 1977;32:311-16.
32. Stach R. Uzależnienie od alkoholu a depresja. Możliwość stosowania psychoterapii poznawczej w leczeniu uzależnienia. Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński; 1991.
33. Beck AT, Weissman A, Lester D, Trexler L. The measurement of pessimism: the Hopelessness Scale. J Consult Clin Psychol 1974;42;861-5.
34. Holden RR, Fekken GC. Test - retest reliability of the Hopelessness Scale and its items in university population. J Clin Psychol 1988:44;40-3.
35. Durham TW. Norms, reliability, and items analysis of the Hopelessness Scale in general psychiatric, forensic psychiatric, and college populations. J Clin Psychol 1982:38;597-600.
36. Baron RM., Kenny DA. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol 1986; 51:1173-82.
37. Wnuk M. Porównanie egzystencjalnych oraz religijno-duchowych aspektów funkcjonowania studentów i osób uzależnionych od alkoholu. Roczniki Psychologiczne 2008;11:175-89.
38. Sherman AC, Plante TG, Simonton S, Adams DC, Burris K, Harbison C. Assessing religious faith in medical patients: Cross-validation of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Pastoral Psychol 1999;48:129-40.
39. Plante TG, Yancey S, Sherman AC, Guertin M. The association between strength of religious faith and psychological functioning. Pastoral Psychol 2000;48:405-12.
40. Francis LJ, Burton L. The influence of personal prayer on purpose in life among catholic adolescents. J Beliefs and Values 1994;15:6–9.
41. Francis LJ, Evans TE. The relationship between personal prayer and purpose in life among churchgoing and non-churchgoing twelve-to-fifteen-year-olds in the UK. Religious Education 1996;99:1,9-21.
42. Bar-Tur L, Savaya R, Prager E. Sources of meaning in life for young and old Israeli Jews and Arabs. J Aging Stud 2001; 15: 253-69.
43. Stuckey JC. Faith, aging and dementia. Experiences of Christian, Jewish, and non-religious spousal caregivers and older adults. Dementia 2003;2:337-52.
44. Kurtz E. Bardziej duchowy niż religijny charakter ruchu Anonimowych Alkoholików. Warszawa: Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii; 1989.
45. Cawley N. An exploration of the concept of spirituality. Int J Palliat Nurs 1997;3:31-6.
46. Nagai-Jacobson MG, Burkhardt MA. Spirituality: cornerstone of holistic nursing practice. Holist Nurs Pract 1989;3:18-26.
47. Wulff DM. Psychologia religii. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne; 1999.
48. Bloch DR. Spirituality, complexity and career counseling. Professional School Counseling 2004;7:343-50.
49. Lewis L. Spiritual assessment in African-Americans: A review of measures of spirituality used in health research. J Rel Health 2008;47:458-75.
50. Seligman MEP, Parks AC, Steen P. A balanced psychology and full life. Philos Trans R Soc 2004;359:1379-81.
51. O'Connor BP, Vallerand RJ. Psychological adjustment variables as predictors of mortality among nursing home residents. Psychol Aging 1999;13:368-74.
52. Compton WC. Toward a tripartite factor structure of mental health: Subjective well-being, personal growth, and religiosity. J Psychol 2001;135:486-500.
53. Evangelista LS, Doering L, Dracup K. Meaning and life purpose: The perspectives of post-transplant women. Heart Lung 2003;32:250-7.
54. Ardelt M, Koenig CS. The role of religion for hospice patients and relatively healthy older adults. Res Aging 2006;28:184-215.
55. Fleer J, Hoekstra HJ, Sleijfer DT, Tuinman MA, Hoekstra-Weebers JEHM. The role of meaning in the prediction of psychosocial well-being of testicular cancer survivors. Qual Life Res 2006;15:705-17.
56. Baumeister RF. Meanings of life.: Guilford. New York 1991.
57. Emmons RA. Motives and goals. In: Hogan R, Johnson JA, Eds. Handbook of personality psychology. San Diego: Academic Press; 1997.
