Abstract: Background: Loneliness is often addressed as a social deficit, yet growing evidence suggests it reflects deeper existential disruption. Grounded in logotherapy, this study examined meaning-centered pathways through which loneliness affects psychological outcomes and evaluated a brief logotherapy-informed intervention.
Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative survey data from 200 adults were analyzed using Pearson correlation, mediation, and moderation analyses. An intervention subsample (n = 15) completed a six-session logotherapy-informed program, with pre–post changes assessed using paired-samples t tests and longitudinal mediation. Qualitative interviews conducted pre- and post-intervention were thematically analyzed, and findings were contextualized through a PRISMA-guided synthesis of 20 studies.
Results: Perceived loneliness was moderately and negatively correlated with meaning in life (r = −.48, p < .001). Meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and psychological well-being (indirect effect p < .001), while self-transcendence moderated the loneliness–psychological distress relationship (β = −.18, p = .009). The intervention produced significant reductions in loneliness (t(14) = 4.12, p = .001) and significant increases in meaning in life (t(14) = −4.46, p < .001), with changes in meaning mediating loneliness reduction. Qualitative findings indicated that loneliness was experienced as existential emptiness and that meaning was restored through attitudinal choice, responsibility, and self-transcendence.
Conclusions: Loneliness operates primarily through meaning-related pathways. Meaning-centered, logotherapy-informed interventions alleviate loneliness by transforming its existential significance rather than eliminating social isolation, underscoring meaning in life as a central mechanism for coping and intervention.
Keywords: Loneliness; Meaning in Life; Logotherapy; Self-Transcendence; Existential Coping; Mixed-Methods Intervention.
Title: Loneliness and Logotherapy: Meaning-Centered Pathways for Addressing Existential Isolation
Author: David Bull
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
Vol. 13, Issue 2, October 2025 - March 2026
Page No: 360-387
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 12-January-2026
