Measuring Meaning and Purpose in Rehabilitation: Validating the Presence of Meaning Subscale in Adults With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

PURPOSE: Unexpected life events, such as a brain injury, can result in a disrupted sense of purpose and meaning in life. Meaning and purpose in life have been identified as potentially modifiable protective factors in promoting health and well-being. At present, meaning and purpose are not widely assessed in allied health research or clinical practice, nor have measures of these constructs been validated for use after brain injury. Consideration of meaning and purpose in brain injury management may improve long-term outcomes of rehabilitation. To support assessment of meaning and purpose in rehabilitation, we examined the psychometric properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire-Presence of Meaning (MLQ-P) subscale in adults with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHOD: Sixty-two people with mTBI completed the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Life Engagement Test, the Work and Social Adjustment Scale, and the Purpose Status Question. We evaluated the five-item MLQ-P subscale for (a) construct validity and internal structure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, (b) convergent validity by examining relationships between MLQ-P and related constructs, and (c) internal consistency reliability using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The MLQ-P's internal structure was unidimensional, consistent with previous findings in the general population. Scores on the MLQ-P were strongly correlated to the Life Engagement Test, a related measure of purpose in life. The MLQ-P demonstrated strong internal consistency reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The MLQ-P is a valid measure of meaning and purpose in adults with mTBI. Future work should incorporate consideration of meaning and purpose into research and clinical practice for mTBI management.