scholarly journals Who needs the concept of spirituality? Human beings seem to!

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
WILLIAM BREITBART

Well, it's finally happened. I've been attacked in the scientific literature (Salander, 2006). Well, just to clarify, it wasn't a personal attack, but rather an attack of the highest and most noble order: an attack on the scientific rigor of the conceptual underpinnings of my recent work on meaning and spirituality in advanced cancer patients (e.g., Breitbart, 2002). To be honest, and a bit less grandiose, it was not an attack against me alone, but rather a set of critical comments aimed at a growing number of investigators who have been publishing papers (a 600% increase over the past 10 years) dealing with religious or spiritual aspects of life-threatening illness (Stefanek et al., 2005). The critical comments by Dr. Par Salander of the Department of Social Welfare, Umea University, Sweden, in a recent issue of the journal Psycho-oncology (Salander, 2006) challenge the need for and the validity of the concept of spirituality.

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 2783-2791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Schur ◽  
Alexandra Ebert-Vogel ◽  
Michaela Amering ◽  
Eva Katharina Masel ◽  
Marie Neubauer ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karimah Alidina ◽  
Ildico Tettero

AbstractHope is a multi-dimensional concept that is integral to a dying person's needs. It is an essential resource that assists individuals with a life-threatening illness to cope during times of intense physical and psychological distress. The objective of this article is to explore and analyze the therapeutic value of hope. The phenomenon of hope will be explored through the analysis and application of Dufault and Martocchio's Multidimensional Model of Hope (MMH) to a clinical scenario. Factors determining hope in cancer patients as well as interventions that can foster hope in dying patients will be identified. Discussion includes examination of literature gaps, relevance to nursing practice, and practical strategies to engender hope and thereby enhance quality of life (QOL) in advanced cancer patients.


Author(s):  
William S. Breitbart

A range of psychotherapeutic and behavioural interventions have been demonstrated to be effective and useful for patients struggling with advanced life-threatening illness. Despite lack of evidence for prolonged survival, psychosocial interventions have been shown to be effective in decreasing depressive symptoms and suffering in advanced cancer patients. This chapter provides an overview of the commonly used, effective individual, group, and family psychotherapy modalities among advanced cancer patients and their families.


Author(s):  
T.G. Krivonis

The study analyzed the personal and behavioral characteristics of cancer patients in the context of having a psychological profile with a certain level of adaptation. Based on informed consent in Medical- psychological center of Vinnitsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University and Vinnytsa Regional Clinical Oncology Clinic during 2015-2019 years 288 cancer patients were examined. Assessment of personality traits conducted using the Freiburg Personality Inventory, FPI-B, behavioral patterns - Ways of Coping Questionnaire, WCQ by R. Lazarus and S. Folkman. Cancer causes the actualization of psychological constructs and the stress-protective mechanisms involved in overcoming stress. In families with impaired family adaptation, a higher incidence of patients with maladaptive personality and behavioral profiles was found. Patients with a disharmonious profile are at risk for developing psychological maladaptation in the stressful situation of a life-threatening illness. The personal and behavioral profile of the cancer patient is an important criterion for the choice of medical-psychological help and should be taken into account when applying psychological interventions to the patient and his immediate family (family).


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Newborn

Life-threatening illness throws many survivors into chaos, dramatically altering and affecting their lives. They are physically and mentally forced out of their daily living routine to figure out other ways of doing things. Everything around them is falling apart. They feel cut off—physically and mentally isolated—without having any sense of belonging. The situation, however, does not have to remain tragic. Disability and illness can teach us about ourselves. The methods of Yoga provide opportunities for this transformation. Yoga teaches survivors how to live through a physical and emotional crisis. It offers a practical method for working with their bodies and their minds. In this journey a new consciousness can develop and then tragedy can transform itself. This process will eventually lead survivors from a confusing state to a clear understanding of all elements of their lives. Persons of disability will then see themselves as whole and healthy human beings. Here is how, as a stroke survivor, Yoga transformed me.


2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Mehnert ◽  
Uwe Koch

ABSTRACTObjective:There has been an increasing interest in the measurement of patients efforts to find meaning during the experience of a life-threatening illness. The aim of this study was to validate the German version of the Life Attitude Profile–Revised (LAP-R), a multidimensional measure of meaning and purpose.Methods:A total of 511 prostate cancer patients with an average age of 64 years filled in the questionnaire during outpatient follow up care (response rate 70%).Results:Five of the original six dimensions were replicated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Coherence, Existential Vacuum, Choice/Responsibleness, Death Acceptance, and Goal Seeking. The Purpose dimension was not replicated. Most LAP-R subscales showed good internal consistencies with Cronbach's α between .80 and .82, whereas the reliability for Existential Vacuum (α = .69) and Goal Seeking (α = .74) was less sufficient, but still acceptable. Results show significant concurrent associations between all LAP-R dimensions and measures of emotional distress, coping, and health-related quality of life; however, moderate correlations were found only for Existential Vacuum and depression, and inversely for depressive coping and the mental health subscale.Significance of research:The German LAP-R is a reliable and valid instrument that can be recommended for further use in research and clinical cancer care.


Author(s):  
Momcilo Jankovic ◽  
Giuseppe Masera

How does one help a family whose child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness? It is a deceptively simple question with complicated answers. This brief chapter is not meant to be a history of biopsychosocial pediatric oncology, and it does not cover every theme. The explosion of studies on children with cancer over these past decades (Pizzo & Poplack, 2001) renders a retrospective look formidable and subjective. The sole purpose of this retrospective examination into the earliest beginnings is to place into context some of the main themes that have appeared over the past years, so that they can serve as a foundation for our recommendations for future intervention and research in the field. That is our assigned task. Much of the review reflects personal respective experiences beginning in the late 1960s. The chapters that form this volume, written by many of the most experienced psychosocial researchers who have brought the field so far forward over these many years, are the state of the art, tell us where we have been most recently, and tell us in greater detail where we are at the moment. Where does our psychosocial history begin? What have we done these past many years to help the children and their families cope with the illness and its treatment? With due awareness of the subjectivity and inevitable unfairness of our venture, we undertake the task with due apologies for any omissions that may occur in this retrospective review. As we begin to look in some detail at the main themes formed over the past four decades, we place our review into the context of four preambles: a multidisciplinary and international effort; an alliance between physicians and parents; research and service; and a sharing of the research wealth with economically struggling countries. From the earliest years, the effort to care for the child with cancer has been multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, and international, involving a highly cooperative and collaborative effort of physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and allied health care professionals working together across national borders.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Rodríguez-Prat ◽  
Denise Pergolizzi ◽  
Iris Crespo ◽  
Albert Balaguer ◽  
Josep Porta-Sales ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the context of life-threatening illness, loss of control is argued as a source of suffering and loss of perceived dignity, whereas having control over the dying process has been seen as a way of maintaining personal independence. Little is known about meaning of control since the patients’ perspective. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the meaning of control from the perspective of patients with advanced cancer. Methods We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. Eight patients with advanced cancer from an oncology unit and a palliative care unit from Barcelona (Spain) were interviewed. Results Two themes emerged: 1) factors that influence the perception of control, with subthemes: uncertainty about future suffering, personality traits underlying a need for control; patient-medical interactions; and 2) perceiving control over an uncontrollable illness, explained by perceived control over subjective wellbeing and relinquishing control through coping strategies. Conclusions This study allowed us to understand what control means to advanced cancer patients. The data allowed us to identify strategies that promote a sense of control in these patients. The illness, according to the participants, was experienced as series of losses. However, attention was often focused on areas where they continued to have control. Future research should address how both family members and healthcare professionals can help to empower patients.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9146-9146
Author(s):  
Elizabeth L Kacel ◽  
Paul K Maciejewski ◽  
Holly Gwen Prigerson

9146 Background: Research on posttraumatic stress in cancer patients has focused on patient reactions to their cancer diagnosis. Few studies have examined the impact of lifetime traumatic events prior to diagnosis on how advanced cancer patients understand the life-threatening nature of their illness and how likely they are to discuss their end-of-life (EOL) wishes with their oncology providers. Methods: The Coping with Cancer (CwC) is an NCI-funded prospective, multi-institutional cohort study of advanced cancer patients and their caregivers. Participants were recruited from September 2002 to February 2008 from six comprehensive cancer centers across the United States. Lifetime traumas were captured by the number of events reported in response to the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (SCID) Lifetime Posttraumatic Stress Disorder question that probed for “extremely upsetting” life events. Associations between patient characteristics and number of lifetime traumas were estimated as odds ratios using ordinal logistic regression. Associations between number of lifetime traumatic exposures, controlling for confounding patient characteristics, and patient Terminal Illness Acknowledgement (TIA) and reports of EOL discussions were estimated as odds ratios using multiple logistic regression. Results: After adjusting for race, education, and recruitment site, the number of lifetime traumas patients reported remained significantly associated with TIA (OR = 1.25, p = .034) and discussion of EOL wishes (OR = 1.29, p = .013). Conclusions: The greater the number of traumatic experiences reported by cancer patients the more likely they are to acknowledge that they are terminally ill and discuss their end-of-life wishes with their oncology providers. The impact of witnessing or experiencing serious or life-threatening events in the past appears to improve advanced cancer patients’ abilities to understand the seriousness of their condition and increases the likelihood that they will discuss their preferences for care at the end of life with their doctors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document