Loneliness, Meaning in Life and Distress Among Incarcerated Men: The Moderating Role of Search for Meaning

ABSTRACT

Background

Incarceration often disrupts an individual’s sense of purpose and connectedness, contributing to loneliness and psychological distress. Identifying psychological resources that might buffer these effects is especially relevant in correctional settings. One such resource, emphasised in Viktor Frankl’s existential theory, is search for meaning—a motivation to pursue existential purpose.

Aims

To investigate whether search for meaning moderates associations between loneliness and (a) presence of meaning and (b) psychological distress. We also explored whether presence of meaning mediates the link between loneliness and distress and whether any such indirect association varies by levels of search for meaning.

Methods

A total of 114 male prisoners aged 18–65 years (mean 37.25, SD = 9.52) were recruited from two correctional facilities encompassing closed and semi-open units. Participants completed the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale and both subscales of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ).

Results

Higher loneliness scores were associated with lower presence of meaning and higher distress. Presence of meaning mediated the relationship between loneliness and distress. Search for meaning moderated the link between loneliness and presence of meaning: The association was weaker at higher levels of search.

Conclusions

Identification of presence of meaning as a key mechanism relating loneliness and distress among these incarcerated men extends research on meaning in life to a setting where management of loneliness and distress may be key to safety and underscores the potential relevance of meaning-centred interventions in prison settings.