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Strategies for Cultivating Purpose Among Adolescents in Clinical Settings

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Clinical Perspectives on Meaning

Abstract

Meaning and purpose share a focus on personal significance, but purpose represents a narrower construct than meaning. Whereas meaning refers to any experience one defines as personally significant, a purpose in life refers more specifically to goal-oriented, enduring aims that are at once personally meaningful and at the same time motivated by a desire to have an impact on the world beyond the self. Because of its distinctive beyond the self dimension, a purpose in life is associated with a wide range of psychological and physical benefits that enhance youth development. The construct is associated with thriving across the lifespan, but particularly during adolescence when it can contribute to healthy identity development and provide young people who might otherwise be drifting with a productive sense of direction. Despite the benefits associated with leading a life of purpose, the experience is rare. Only about 20 % of young people possess a purpose in life. To begin to address this issue, this chapter offers three empirically based approaches that mental health professionals can take to help foster purpose in the lives of young people.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quality of Life Research Center, Claremont Graduate University, 1227 N. Dartmouth Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

    Kendall Cotton Bronk Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, 150 E. 10th Street, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

    Susan Mangan M.A.

Authors
  1. Kendall Cotton Bronk Ph.D.
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  2. Susan Mangan M.A.
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Correspondence to Kendall Cotton Bronk Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Pninit Russo-Netzer

  2. Department of Psychology Clinical-Disaster Research Center (UM-CDRC), University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA

    Stefan E. Schulenberg

  3. International Academy of Philosophy, University in the Principality of Liechtenstein, Vienna, Austria

    Alexander Batthyany

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Bronk, K.C., Mangan, S. (2016). Strategies for Cultivating Purpose Among Adolescents in Clinical Settings. In: Russo-Netzer, P., Schulenberg, S., Batthyany, A. (eds) Clinical Perspectives on Meaning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41397-6_20

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