Searching for meaning in life among secondary school students: insights from existential psychology for school counseling

Abstract

This article examines meaning in life as a central construct in existential psychology and its role in the psychological and social development of high school students. Drawing on international empirical studies, the review shows that the presence of meaning functions as a protective factor for mental health, emotion regulation, and personality development, whereas the search for meaning may have adaptive or maladaptive effects depending on its interaction with presence. Mediating mechanisms such as self-control and perceived social support are identified as key pathways through which meaning in life influences behavior, learning attitudes, and academic outcomes. From an existential perspective, the paper proposes directions for school counseling that position students as active agents in constructing meaning, highlighting the importance of fostering awareness of freedom and responsibility, facilitating value-oriented dialogue, transforming difficulties into opportunities for growth, and adapting international models. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity of integrating meaning-in-life components into school counseling practices and outlines implications for research and policy in the Vietnamese educational context.