BACKGROUND: Spiritual needs are an essential component of holistic health care. Several studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcome, coping skills and health-related quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the newly developed SpREUK inventory, we examined how German cancer patients (n=115) by themselves view the impact of spirituality and religiosity (SpR) on their health and how they cope with illness. RESULTS: Cancer patients with both a religious and spiritual attitude had significantly higher values in the search for meaningful support and in addressing the stabilizing effects of SpR than patients without such attitudes. Patients with non-spiritual religious attitudes had a lower perception of the beneficial effects of their SpR and significantly lower needs for meaningful support. Female cancer patients were convinced that finding access to a spiritual source has a positive influence on their illness, that illness has meaning, regard illness as a chance for their own development and as a hint to change life. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of a patient's spirituality can help service providers predict aspects of psychosocial needs and to respond sensitively and appropriately. The SpREUK questionnaire is a useful tool to define patients who are more in need of spiritual support than others.
BACKGROUND: Spiritual needs are an essential component of holistic health care. Several studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcome, coping skills and health-related quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the newly developed SpREUK inventory, we examined how German cancerpatients (n=115) by themselves view the impact of spirituality and religiosity (SpR) on their health and how they cope with illness. RESULTS:Cancerpatients with both a religious and spiritual attitude had significantly higher values in the search for meaningful support and in addressing the stabilizing effects of SpR than patients without such attitudes. Patients with non-spiritual religious attitudes had a lower perception of the beneficial effects of their SpR and significantly lower needs for meaningful support. Female cancerpatients were convinced that finding access to a spiritual source has a positive influence on their illness, that illness has meaning, regard illness as a chance for their own development and as a hint to change life. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of a patient's spirituality can help service providers predict aspects of psychosocial needs and to respond sensitively and appropriately. The SpREUK questionnaire is a useful tool to define patients who are more in need of spiritual support than others.
Authors: Thomas Ostermann; Arndt Büssing; Andre-Michael Beer; Peter F Matthiessen Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2005-07-08 Impact factor: 3.186
Authors: Alexandra Braun; Dimitar Evdokimov; Johanna Frank; Paul Pauli; Thomas Wabel; Nurcan Üçeyler; Claudia Sommer Journal: J Relig Health Date: 2021-01-23