Counseling and Humanities Review
Vol 5, No 2 (2025): Counseling and Humanities Review

From Existential Vacuum to Thriving: Meaning-Centered Group Interventions for University Students

Mulia, Fika Dwi (Unknown)
Neviyarni, Neviyarni (Unknown)
Netrawati, Netrawati (Unknown)
Hariko, Rezki (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Dec 2025

Abstract

University students frequently experience existential concerns alongside subclinical psychological distress, including reduced meaning in life, depression, and anxiety. Meaning-centered group counseling based on logotherapy has been proposed as a preventive intervention; however, evidence for young adult populations remains limited. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review with Network Analysis (SLNA) conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to examine the effectiveness and research landscape of meaning-centered group counseling for university students. A systematic search of the Scopus database (2015-2025) identified five controlled studies (N = 206) involving group-based logotherapy interventions for individuals aged 18-25 years. Meaning in life was the primary outcome, while depression, anxiety, and stress were secondary outcomes. Due to heterogeneity, data were synthesized using SWiM guidelines and complemented by a bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis of 47 Scopus-indexed articles using VOSviewer. The results indicate consistent and significant improvements in meaning in life (p < 0.05) with large effect sizes, accompanied by reductions in psychological distress. These findings support meaning-centered group counseling as an effective preventive intervention in university counseling settings.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

chr

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Neuroscience Other

Description

The aim of this journal is to publish articles dedicated to all aspects of the latest outstanding developments in the field of counseling and humanities ...