Book of Abstracts

Chronic illness, as indicated by numerous researchers (Baxter & Sirois, 2025; Jiakponna et al., 2025; Karademas & Benyamini, 2025), constitutes a category of physical conditions in which psychological factors related to stress play a significant role. For an individual, chronic illness is a highly stressful life event that triggers a wide range of responses, shaping cognitive processes, emotional regulation, and behavioral mechanisms at various stages of diagnosis and treatment. It profoundly destabilizes and obstructs personal goals and aspirations, necessitates changes in one's existing lifestyle, limits the ability to fulfill social roles, and disrupts interpersonal relationships. The aim of this presentation is to present—based on empirical research findings—the role of both personal resources and meaning-making processes in adapting to chronic illness. At the heart of the research is the concept of meaning, which plays a crucial role in the psychosocial functioning of individuals, particularly in the context of illness. This focus will enable the examination of the function meaning serves in the stress transaction process among individuals living with chronic illness, as well as the identification of mediating mechanisms involved.