The role of values and meaning of life in the recovery of severe mental disorders. Restoring meaning in one's life is a major issue for psychological recovery, in the context of the psychological and social consequences of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Recovery indeed denotes the development of a fulfiling life and a positive sense of identity founded on hopefulness and self-determination. Only a little research has been devoted to meaning. Here we describe the way meaning interacts with patients value and psychological and social context and define a general model involving the interaction beween these parameters. Finally, the way to address the issue of meaning is detailed according to existential literature, with the assumption that meaning is often a neglected issue in recovery-oriented care. Meaning can be found, for example, by considering the way one copes with his/her suffering, or by inversting in hedonism or altruism. These goals should be oriented by the values which are important to the patients.