10: Meaning in Life: the Purpose of Recovery

Meaning in life is a psychological construct that entails the perception that life has value, significance and purpose, along with the facility to comprehend, establish and develop this awareness (Dezutter et al., 2013). It is concerned with many facets of well-being, including spirituality, quality of life, having worthwhile social roles, purposeful goals and building a healthy lifestyle (Leamy et al., 2011). Furthermore and topically, research connects it with both making sense of the experience of mental illness and longevity of recovery (Melemis, 2015; Sliedrecht et al., 2019; White et al., 2006). In positive psychology (PP), meaning in life has been conceptualised in three parts, coherence, purpose, and significance, theoretically refining it to a less ambiguous construct. This three-part structure offers clarity by outlining that people need to comprehend their surrounding world, see their actions as significant and have purpose, so they may experience meaning in their life (Martela & Steger, 2016).