{"id":{"repo_id":"wku-diss","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1788"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wku-diss/oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1788","repository":{"repo_id":"wku-diss","name":"Western Kentucky University","base_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The Relationship Between Meaning in Life and the Occurrence of Drug Abuse: An Epidemiological Retrospective Study","abstract":"Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were found to have significantly different levels of meaning in life. Drug treatment and primary prevention programs should consider incorporating meaning in life considerations in their strategies. Future research should explore an expanded sample size of drug abusing participants exploring in greater detail life's subjective meaning.","abstract_html":"Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were found to have significantly different levels of meaning in life. Drug treatment and primary prevention programs should consider incorporating meaning in life considerations in their strategies. Future research should explore an expanded sample size of drug abusing participants exploring in greater detail life's subjective meaning.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Howard, Ben"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Health","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Department of Public Health","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1997,"date_issued":"1997-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1997-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:07:48Z","subjects":["Public Health","Substance Abuse and Addiction"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/785","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Howard, Ben"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Public Health"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Health"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Public Health","Substance Abuse and Addiction"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/785"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were found to have significantly different levels of meaning in life. Drug treatment and primary prevention programs should consider incorporating meaning in life considerations in their strategies. Future research should explore an expanded sample size of drug abusing participants exploring in greater detail life's subjective meaning."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Relationship Between Meaning in Life and the Occurrence of Drug Abuse: An Epidemiological Retrospective Study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Howard, Ben"],"dc:description.abstract":["Humans have been using plant-derived drugs for as long as we have recorded history. Significant negative consequences related to drug abuse have occurred in the areas of health, social issues, family relations, legal systems, and economic productivity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between meaning in life and drug abuse. An epidemiological, retrospective study was performed to compare personal meaning in life between individuals receiving inpatient treatment for drug abuse and a group of non-drug abusing controls. Study participants completed the Purpose-In-Life Test and Life Attitude Profile-Revised. On both instruments, the inpatient drug abusing subjects were found to have significantly different levels of meaning in life. Drug treatment and primary prevention programs should consider incorporating meaning in life considerations in their strategies. Future research should explore an expanded sample size of drug abusing participants exploring in greater detail life's subjective meaning."],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/785"],"dc:subject":["Public Health","Substance Abuse and Addiction"],"dc:title":["The Relationship Between Meaning in Life and the Occurrence of Drug Abuse: An Epidemiological Retrospective Study"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Public Health"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Health"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:07:48Z"}