A longitudinal investigation of the meaning‐making model in midlife adults who have experienced trauma

Abstract Introduction Park and Folkman's (1997) meaning‐making model posits that distress from traumatic events stems from discrepancies between one's global meaning framework and appraised situational meaning of the traumatic event, with meaning making diminishing these discrepancies and thus bolstering well‐being. The current study investigates this supposition over a 19‐year span in mid‐life adults. Methods We selected participants from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study who had indicated the experience of a negatively impactful traumatic event ( N = 1687). We hypothesized that increased positive reappraisal (a type of meaning making) would have an indirect effect on positive and negative affect through the three dimensions of meaning in life (significance, coherence, and purpose). Results All direct and indirect effects were significant and supported hypotheses. Conclusion Results suggest that the assertions of the meaning‐making model hold true over a period of nearly two decades among mid‐life adults who have experienced traumatic events.