1. Meaningfulness and Meaninglessness in the old age AM I WHERE I BELONG?
Joana Butenaite
Institute of Psychology
Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania

2. The basic motivation in human life (Frankl, 2010).
Meaning in life
The basic motivation in human life (Frankl, 2010).
„The cognizance of order, coherence and purpose in one’s existence” (Reker, 2000).

3. Meaning in the old life
E. Erikson (1959): old life is defined as the crisis of integrity versus despair.

4. Research questions
How elderly women experience meaningfulness and meaninglessness in their life in the Lithuanian context?

5. Methods Semi-structured interviews Transcription of interviews
Text analysis: interpretative phenomenological by Smith (2009)

6. Research results 2 categories of participants:
feeling sense of meaningfulness
meaninglessness

7. Main themes Self-Maturity, Connection with the Others,
Life's Acceptance.

8. Self-Maturity NEED OF KNOWLEDGE SENSE OF MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
“Thank God, I still have a desire to know more [...]
more of everything to know”
NEED OF KNOWLEDGE

9. Self-Maturity SENSE OF MEANINGFULNESS MEANINGLESSNESS
“for everything the only responsible is you”
„I could define somehow, say something, take some kind of decisions, but I'm not engaged in this“
SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY

10. Self-Maturity SENSE OF MEANINGFULNESS MEANINGLESSNESS
„[as] with chamomile in the head“
“completely no big ideas or dreams I have today”
INTERNAL MOTIVATION
LACK OF INTERNAL MOTIVATION

11. Connection with the Others
SENSE OF
MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
“if I go to my daughter or meet with my friends then my heart beats fine and my blood-pressure doesn’t increase”
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIABILITY

12. Connection with the Others
SENSE OF
MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
“It’s great when you can give”
“I’m in a complicated condition”
FOCUS ON THE OTHERS
SELF-FOCUS

13. Connection with the Others
SENSE OF
MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
„[husband] hardly even gets to the toilet, needs escorting, also in the night needs assistance”
"I said to my grandchildren: you’ve been put a hand, but not your children”
ACTIVE ROLE
ROLE CONFUSION

14. CONCERN ABOUT THE FUTURE
Life‘s Acceptance
SENSE OF
MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
“[it] won’t be better”
CONCERN ABOUT THE FUTURE

15. Life‘s Acceptance SENSE OF MEANINGFULNESS MEANINGLESSNESS
“[I’m] really enjoying every day because now I treasure it”
"Memories are the only paradise from which no one can expel me”
SATISFACTION WITH THE PRESENT
IDEALIZED PAST

16. “I refused it [life] straight voluntarily”
Life‘s Acceptance
SENSE OF
MEANINGFULNESS
MEANINGLESSNESS
“as they are now complaining here, […] [I] even start thinking why to complain about?”
“I refused it [life] straight voluntarily”
POSITIVE COPING
NEGATIVE COPING

17. “Connection with the Others”,
Conclusions
On the basis of meaningfulness or meaninglessness that participants experienced main themes were identified:
“Self-Maturity”,
“Connection with the Others”,
“Life's Acceptance”.

18. Conclusions
Older women sensing the meaning of life take responsibility for their own lives and inner motivation, they are altruistic and active in their environment. They positively overcome difficulties and are satisfied with their current life.
Older woman sensing meaninglessness lacks the responsibility for her own life and inner motivation, she is focused on herself and experiences role confusion. She negatively take challenges in her life and lives in an idealized past.

19. Good luck in finding meaning of your life!