A pilot study of transformation, attributed meanings to the illness, and spiritual well-being for terminally ill cancer patients

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiyo Ando ◽  
Tatsuya Morita ◽  
Virginia Lee ◽  
Takuya Okamoto
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Clinical Psychologist ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Search For Meaning ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Positive Meaning ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTObjective:The present study investigated what types of transformation terminally ill cancer patients experienced from diagnosis until the terminal stage, what meanings terminally ill cancer patients attributed to their illness, and whether or not those who attributed positive meaning to their illness achieved high levels of spiritual well-being as a preliminary study.Method:Ten terminally ill cancer patients in the hospice wards of two general hospitals participated. A clinical psychologist conducted a semistructured interview with the patients individually for about 60 min. Patients completed the FACIT-Sp and HADS before the interview and talked about the meanings of cancer experience. The contents of the interviews were analyzed qualitatively. Patients were separated into high and low levels of spiritual-well being by the median of FACIT-Sp scores.Results:Three types of transformation were extracted: “group with peaceful mind,” “group with both positive attitude and uneasy feeling,” and “groups with uneasy feeling.” As attributed meanings to the illness, five categories were extracted: “positive meaning,” “natural acceptance,” “negative acceptance,” “search for meaning,” and “regret and sorrow.” Patients in the high level spiritual well-being group attributed the meaning of illness to “positive meaning” and “natural acceptance,” and those in the low level spiritual well-being group attributed it to “regret and sorrow” and “search for meaning.”Significance of results:Some Japanese terminally ill cancer patients experienced positive transformation, and patients who attributed “positive meaning” and “natural acceptance” to their illness experience achieved high levels of spiritual well-being.

Verbalized desire for death or euthanasia in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Güell ◽  
Adelaida Ramos ◽  
Tania Zertuche ◽  
Antonio Pascual
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Symptom Intensity ◽  
Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale ◽  
Desire To Die

AbstractObjective:We aimed to address the prevalence of desire-to-die statements (DDSs) among terminally ill cancer patients in an acute palliative care unit. We also intended to compare the underlying differences between those patients who make desire-to-die comments (DDCs) and those who make desire-for-euthanasia comments (EUCs).Method:We conducted a one-year cross-sectional prospective study in all patients receiving palliative care who had made a DDC or EUC. At inclusion, we evaluated symptom intensity, anxiety and depression, and conducted a semistructured interview regarding the reasons for these comments.Results:Of the 701 patients attended to during the study period, 69 (9.8%; IC95% 7.7–12.3) made a DDS: 51 (7.3%) a DDC, and 18 (2.5%) an EUC. Using Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) DDC group showed higher percentage of moderate-severe symptoms (ESAS > 4) for well-being (91 vs. 25%; p = 0.001), depression (67 vs. 25%; p = 0.055), and anxiety (52 vs. 13%; p = 0.060) than EUC group. EUC patients also considered themselves less spiritual (44 vs. 84%; p = 0.034). The single most common reason for a DDS was pain or physical suffering, though most of the reasons given were nonphysical.Significance of results:Almost 10% of the population receiving specific oncological palliative care made a DDC (7.3%) or EUC (2.5%). The worst well-being score was lower in the EUC group. The reasons for both a DDC and EUC were mainly nonphysical. We find that emotional and spiritual issues should be identified and effectively addressed when responding to a DDS in terminally ill cancer patients.

Spirituality and religion in terminally ill patients with cancer

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 19587-19587
Author(s):  
P. Heras ◽  
K. Kritikos ◽  
A. Georgopoulou ◽  
A. Hatzopoulos ◽  
N. Kritikos
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Spirituality And Religion ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Strong Negative Association

19587 Background: The importance of spirituality and religion in coping with a terminal illness is becoming increasingly recognised. We aimed to assess the relation between spiritual well-being, religiosity, depression, and end-of-life despair in terminally-ill cancer patients. Methods: One hundred forty three terminally ill cancer patients with a life expectancy of less than 6 months were interviewed with a series of standardised instruments, including the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being Scale, a religiosity index similar to those used in previous research, the Hamilton depression rating scale, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. Results: A strong negative association was observed between the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being scale and the HDRS, but no such relationship was found for religiosity. Similar patterns were observed for the FACIT subscales, finding a strong negative association between the meaning and peace subscale (which corresponds to the more existential aspects of spirituality) and HDRS scores, whereas a positive, albeit nonsignificant, association was observed for the faith subscale (which corresponds more closely to religiosity). Conclusions: These results suggest that the beneficial aspects of religion may be primarily those that relate to spiritual well-being rather than to religious practices per se. Spiritual well-being offers some protection against end-of-life despair in those for whom death is imminent. The area of spiritual work is fertile ground for further investigation, especially interventions aimed at improving spiritual health and general quality of life among terminally ill patients with cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effect of spiritual well-being on end-of-life despair in terminally-ill cancer patients

The Lancet ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 361 (9369) ◽  
pp. 1603-1607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen S McClain ◽  
Barry Rosenfeld ◽  
William Breitbart
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

Psychometric testing of the Spiritual Well-Being Scale–Mandarin version in Taiwanese cancer patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 336-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woung-Ru Tang ◽  
Chen-Yi Kao
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

AbstractObjective:The spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients is an important indicator of the quality of their lives and of the quality of hospice care, but no validated tools are available for assessing this indicator in Taiwan.Method:The present cross-sectional study validated the Spiritual Well-Being Scale–Mandarin version (SWBS–M) by testing its psychometric properties in 243 cancer patients from five teaching hospitals throughout Taiwan. Construct validity was tested by factor analysis and hypothesis testing. Patients' spiritual well-being and quality of life were assessed using the SWBS–M and the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQoL), respectively.Results:Overall, the SWBS–M had an internal consistency/reliability of 0.89. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the SWBS–M had an underlying two-factor structure, explaining 46.94% of the variance. SWBS–M scores correlated moderately with MQoL scores (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). Terminally ill cancer patients' spiritual well-being was inversely related to their average pain level during the previous 24 hours (r = –0.183, p = 0.006). Cancer patients' spiritual well-being also differed significantly with their experience of pain (t = –3.67, p < 0.001); terminally ill cancer patients with pain during the previous 24 hours had a lower sense of spiritual well-being than those without pain.Significance of results:Our findings support a two-factor model for the SWBS–M in terminally ill Taiwanese cancer patients. We recommend testing the psychometric properties of the SWBS–M in different patient populations to verify its factorial structure in other Asian countries.

Factors in narratives to questions in the short-term life review interviews of terminally ill cancer patients and utility of the questions

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiyo Ando ◽  
Tatsuya Morita ◽  
Tatsuo Akechi ◽  
Kouchi Takashi
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Terminally Ill ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Review ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Terminally Ill Cancer Patients ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

AbstractObjective:Although the Short-Term Life Review elevated the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients in our previous study, we have not examined what patients reviewed for each question item of it. We examined factors in narratives to questions in the Short-Term Life Review interviews of terminally ill cancer patients and utility of the questions.Method:Thirty-four terminally ill cancer patients received the Short-Term Life Review interview in which there were two sessions. In the first session patients reviewed their lives, and an interviewer made a simple album of the patient based on patients' narrative. After 1 week, there was a second session. Qualitative analysis was conducted on patients' answers to each question using computational word mining, and factors were identified.Results:Twenty patients' narratives were analyzed. “Human relationships” was identified under “important things in life.” “Pleasant memories” were associated with “impressive memories.” “Illness” and “marriage and divorce” were related to “turning points in the life.” “Raising children and education” and “company or work” were identified as “roles in life.” “Achievements at work” were identified with “pride.” “Message to my children” was identified with “what I want to say to my family.” “To live sincerely” and “consideration for others” were identified as “advice for the next generation.” Patients reviewed few for topics such as “pride,” “what I want to say to my family,” “advice for the next generation,” and “summing up my life.”Significance of results:Factors such as human relationships, raising children, and education as a role and source of pride, and concerns about children's future, were associated with elevating spiritual well-being. Question to which that patients easily answered were selected.

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