Editorial: Meaning in Late-Life

Meaning in Late-LifeThe ongoing COVID pandemic showed us how vital the experience of meaning in life is for human wellbeing.This contemporary observation is backed up with cumulating scientific evidence illustrating that a sense of meaning in life relates to more optimal psychological, physical and social functioning as well as to better adjustment to traumatic events (Roepke et al., 2014;Winger et al., 2016;Czekierda et al., 2017;Fischer et al., 2020).We assume that the experience of meaningfulness in life is equally important during the different stages of the life span.Surprisingly, Steger et al. (2009) found that older adults reported even higher levels of meaningfulness compared to younger cohorts.However, in late adulthood, especially among people 80 years and older, chronic illness, loss of functionality, relationships etc. will likely put a strain on the meaningfulness experienced in life: life aspects that were important in generating meaning earlier in life such as care for children, hobbies, travel, or community service might disappear.Meaningful activities like reading, gardening, or sport might become more difficult to perform due to physical decline.Relocation to a nursing home or assistant living unit can weaken the social ties and reduce social contacts, impacting gravely on a crucial source of meaning namely personal relationships (Dewitte et al., 2021).The life stage of advanced age can have the power to erode meaning in the lives of older adults, especially when decay and decline are present.The articles in this Research Topic provide an overview of how and why experiencing meaning in late life is important for well-being and psychological functioning but also point out the challenges in constructing meaning in old age.The articles are interdisciplinary, coming from nursing studies, psychology, health studies, religious studies & theology, and palliative care.The methodologies implemented are diverse ranging from ethnographic and in-depth interview studies to cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative studies illustrating how researchers try to address this multilayered and complex phenomenon from different angles and perspectives.The empirical studies in this special issue are complemented by theoretical analysis articles and scoping reviews.The phenomenon of perceived meaning in life calls for further study.At this moment, most researchers adhere to the tripartite view on meaning in life (George and Park, 2016;Martela and Steger, 2016), making a distinction between "purpose, " "mattering, " and "coherence" as essential dimensions of the experience of meaning.However, the discussion on which dimensions do belong to the core of the phenomenon and which do not is still unsettled.In this Research Topic, Pachana and Baumeister propose six potential dimensions of meaning in life based on earlier models and theorizing.They summarize purpose, value, efficacy, self-worth, mattering, and comprehension as central aspects of perceived meaning in life.Knizek et al. took another approach and zoomed in on how meaning in life is experienced by extremely poor Ugandan older adults.Here, respect was a crucial facet concretized in the ability and willingness of possible descendants to support their aged parents.Covering of basic needs and receiving dignities were needed to perceive life as meaningful

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