Components related to the meaning of life in adolescents: A review article

The meaning of life is one of the most complex issues that have engaged the minds of many theorists. The meaning of life generally involves having a goal or a sense of a single goal in life. Adolescents experience more conflict and psychological distresses compared with others and seek more to find meaning in their lives. Considering the importance of meaning of life in physical and psychological health of adolescents, this study aimed to review the components related to the meaning of life in adolescents. This study was a review that search was conducted in electronic databases such as Google Scholar SID (Scientific Information Database), Magiran, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid and Scopus. The related articles, which were concentrated about adolescents' health, were extracted from 1987 to 2016, and after reviewing the abstracts and full text of the articles ultimately, 42 articles were used for writing. The results showed that components such as mental health, identity styles, life expectancy, religion and social communication play an important role in achieving the meaning of life in adolescents. Considering that the concept of the meaning of life in adolescents is a multifaceted phenomenon that is influenced by several factors, it seems that in order to institutionalize the adolescent's meaning of life and improve their level of health, a multiple approach with the participation of the individual, family and social institutions are essential.