Finding Meaning in Life After a Cancer Diagnosis: What Is the Role of Financial Strain?

Abstract

Finding meaning in life is important for maintaining physical and mental well-being. Obtaining a deeper understanding of activities that patients with cancer find meaningful is essential in improving cancer care and increasing meaning in life in these individuals. The sample of the present study consisted of patients with cancer ( N = 61) who reported their levels of financial strain and listed types of activities that they found most meaningful as a part of an online study. Participants engaged in activities that could be grouped into four broad domains (companionship, personal responsibility, recreation, and existential). In addition, results showed that financial strain was associated with higher preference for activities in the existential domain and lower preference for activities in the recreation domain. Future researchers could extend this study by exploring why certain activities are found to be more meaningful and how to combat the influence of financial strain in cancer.