UNDERSTANDING MEANING IN LIFE, MEANINGFUL WORK AND HAPPINESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON DOCTORS

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

The present study was designed to understand meaning in life, meaningful work, and happiness in a sample of doctors. The medical profession is considered highly noble. However, it has also been found that many doctors suffer from burnout. In order to get a clear and more nuanced understanding of meaning in life, meaningful work, and happiness in doctors a qualitative study was conceptualized. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 10 doctors (Males = 5, Females = 5) in the age range of 30-55 years working in various hospitals in Delhi and Punjab. The interviews were transcribed and data thoroughly read to attain significant themes. The following themes emerged from thematic analysis of the interviews: Work as a source of meaning and happiness, happiness, social service, fulfilling interpersonal relationships, and good working environment. The themes along with codes and example responses are presented. A thematic map is also presented for a clear view of the themes. Implications of the study in terms of enhancing meaning in life, meaningful work, and happiness are discussed.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.