Fostering Purpose Among Young Adults

Although searching for and discovering a purpose in life has been associated with a variety of psychological, physical, and academic benefits, the experience is relatively rare (Bronk, 2013). Only about one fifth of adolescents and one third of young adults report leading a life of purpose (Damon, 2008). Accordingly, we designed and tested 2 brief online interventions that help young people search for and identify a purpose for their lives. One toolkit approached purpose from the perspective of goal setting and values exploration, while the other used gratitude as a springboard. A test of these toolkits suggests they effectively spur both the search for purpose and identification of a purpose in life. In addition to outlining the design and testing of these interventions for young adults, implications for their use with adolescents are also addressed.