Skip to content

Questions about the meaning of life during unprecedented COVID times

What is the meaning of life for you?

Thank you for accepting to participate in this study. 
The first part relates to questions about your meaning-making of life. The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ; Steger et al., 2006) will be used to measure your perceptions of the meaning-making of life. This instrument has been shown to be reliable and valid in various studies (Dezutter et al, 2014, Martela & Steger,2016). The Meaning in Life Questionnaire consists of a 10-item questionnaire designed to measure two dimensions of meaning in life: (1) Presence of Meaning (how much you feel you have meaning), and (2) Search for Meaning (how much you strive to find meaning and understand your life).  There are 10 questions.  You will be asked to rate each item on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Absolutely True) to 7 (Absolutely Untrue). 
1.I understand my life's meaning(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
2.I am looking for something that makes my life feel meaningful(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
mostly untrue
somewhat untrue
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
3.I am always looking to find my life’s purpose(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
4.My life has a clear sense of purpose(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
5.I have a good sense of what makes my life meaningful.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
6.I have discovered a satisfying life purpose.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
7.I am always searching for something that makes my life feel significant.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
8.I am seeking a purpose or mission for my life.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
9.My life has no clear purpose.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
10.I am searching for meaning in my life.(Required.)
Absolutely untrue
Mostly untrue
somewhat untrue 
can't say true or false
somewhat true
mostly true
absolutely true
11.Do you have any comments to add about your perceptions of the meaning of life?(Required.)
In the second and final section, you are kindly asked to indicate if the current COVID -19 pandemic has created any anxiety and if this anxiety had any impact on your meaning-making of life.   The COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS) will be used to measure the presence and severity of anxiety relating to the current covid situation. This tool consists of a 7-item questionnaire. You will be asked to rate their anxiety levels using a 4-point liker scale ranging from 0 (not applicable) to 3 (very applicable.  This instrument has also been tested for reliability and validity and has demonstrated to be an adequate instrument to assess COVID-19-related anxiety (Silva, de Sampaio Brito, & Pereira, 2020)
12.I have trouble relaxing when I think about COVID-19(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
13.I feel anxious about COVID-19(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
14.I feel uneasy when reading news about COVID-19(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
15.I feel like I may panic when I update myself about COVID(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
16.I feel bad when thinking about COVID-19(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
17.I feel heart racing when I read about COVID-19 (Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
18. I am afraid of being infected with COVID-19(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
19.The COVID 19 pandemic has made me ask questions about the meaning of life(Required.)
not at all
rare, less then a day or two
several days
more than 7 days
nearly every day for the last 2 weeks
20.do you have any comments to add about the impact of the COVID pandemic and your perceived meaning of life(Required.)
21.Are you intetested in attending the training course on how to cultivate the practice of mindfulness?(Required.)
Thank you for filling in this questionnaire - it is appreciated.  As part of the study,  you will be asked to fill in a copy of the questionnaire after you complete the mindfulness training session.  Since this survey is anonymous, in order to facilitate comparisons of the questionnaires before and after the mindfulness training program, you are kindly asked to provide a nickname.  Please keep a record this nickname, for you will be asked to state your nickname in the second questionnaire.