scholarly journals Spiritual Well-Being in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in an Outpatient Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helga Martins ◽  
Tiago Dias Domingues ◽  
Sílvia Caldeira

Purpose: To assess the spiritual well-being (SWB) of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in an outpatient setting. Method: Quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive study. A convenience sample of 150 participants was obtained. Data collection instrument was a self-reported questionnaire that included the SWB Questionnaire (SWBQ), whose scores range from 20 to 100. SPSS software, version 21, was used in data analysis. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Results: Patients’ ages ranged between 35 and 83 years; most were female (64.7%), married (68.0%), Catholic (86.7%), and with breast cancer (35.3%) and colorectal cancer (25.3%). The average SWBQ total score was 65.91 ( SD = 12.177). The highest score of the SWBQ was obtained in females, widows and singles, Evangelic and Catholic, and with lower educational level and professional occupation. The Cronbach α was 0.89, and the subscales αs ranged between 0.78 and 0.94. Conclusion: The SWBQ scores were reasonable. These results can guide nurses’ clinical reasoning, as the assessment of SWB may precede the diagnosis of risk for spiritual distress, readiness for enhanced SWB, or spiritual distress. Thus, the use of this instrument may facilitate spirituality being effectively implemented in clinical practice, favoring holistic health care.

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
Masoumeh Akbari ◽  
Jaleh Naderi ◽  
Shayan Jelili

Experiences of people living with cancer have revealed that spiritual well-being is a vital aspect of a healthy life, necessary for creating a positive psychology and will guide patients toward a meaningful life. It can also increase cancer patients' adaptability and improve their quality of life and survival. The present study aimed at determining the spiritual well-being among cancer patients and their nurses. This descriptive-cross sectional study carried out with a convenience sampling method and participation of 120 hospitalized cancer patients and their nurses in oncology units. Data were collected using Paloutzian and Ellison well-being questionnaire (r = 0.82) and were analyzed using, chi-square and t-tests by using SPSS 21. The average scores of religious, existential and spiritual well-being in patients were 52, 46 and 99 respectively. Their average scores of religious, existential and spiritual well-being in nurses were 29, 40 and 70 respectively which falls within an average range (41-99). Comparing spiritual well-being scores between patients and nurses using chi-square and t- tests showed a significant difference (p=0.001). Spirituality and positive psychology have always been considered as effective treatment for people who are suffering from cancer. Increased spiritual well-being among nurses can improve spiritual health in cancer patients.             Keywords: cancer patients, spiritual well-being, religious well-being, existential well-being, positive psychology, nurses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-409
Author(s):  
Ahmad Salem Musa ◽  
Mohammad Ibrahim Al Qadire ◽  
Ma'en Aljezawi ◽  
Loai I. Tawalbeh ◽  
Sami Aloush ◽  
...  

Background and PurposeSpiritual care is an essential part of holistic patient care but is provided infrequently in practice. There is a paucity of research investigating the barriers to the provision of spiritual care among Jordanian nurses. The main purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to identify these barriers and to explore the associations with nurses' personal and professional characteristics. A secondary purpose was to examine the psychometric properties of a newlydeveloped spiritual care barriers instrument.MethodsWe surveyed a convenience sample of Jordanian nurses (N = 282). Participants completed both the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and the Spiritual Care Barriers Scale (SCBS). We conducted an exploratory factor analysis to examine the internal structure of the SCBS, and internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha.ResultsThe most common perceived barriers were lack of private places (82.3%), absence of an imam (79.8%), insufficient time (78.8%), inadequate skills and competencies (73.7%), lack ofreligious and spiritual facilities and resources in the hospital (71.3%), and insufficient knowledge (71.3%). Nurses' personal spiritual and existential well-being were negatively associated with spiritual care barriers. Head nurses and supervisors reported lower mean scores on perceived barriers than did associate nurses. The SCBS exhibited acceptable evidence of internal consistency and validity.Implications for PracticeThe findings help Jordanian nurse decision makers in practice and education to overcome barriers to the provision of spiritual care to better meet the spiritual needs of Muslim patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssika Leão Fabbris ◽  
Ana Cláudia Mesquita ◽  
Sílvia Caldeira ◽  
Ana Maria Pimenta Carvalho ◽  
Emilia Campos de Carvalho

Purpose: To analyze the relation between anxiety and spiritual well-being in undergraduate nursing students. Design: Cross sectional, correlational, and survey design. Method: A total of 169 students from a Brazilian Nursing School completed three instruments: demographic data, Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Findings: The mean score of SWBS was high, and the mean score of BAI was low. When experiencing anxiety, there was lower probability of experiencing high spiritual well-being. For those students considering religiosity very important, the score of SWBS was high. Students scoring lower in SWBS had more probability of experiencing moderate/high anxiety. Conclusions: Higher scores of SWBS and importance given to religiosity were related to lower scores of BAI. Also, the performance and score of spiritual well-being were related to anxiety scores. Further research is worthy to identify and validate which educational aspects could promote spiritual well-being and reduce anxiety as well as research to analyze the relation between spiritual well-being score and learning outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-372
Author(s):  
Melissa Neathery ◽  
Zhaomin He ◽  
Elizabeth Johnston Taylor ◽  
Belinda Deal

BACKGROUND: Promoting spiritual well-being aids the mental health recovery process. Furthermore, nursing governance bodies and national mental health care regulators support spiritual care as a mental health–promoting approach. Although spiritual well-being is integral to quality of life in people with mental illness, little is known about the psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses’ provision of spiritual care. AIMS: Spiritual perspectives, frequency of spiritual care, and knowledge of recovery-oriented practice were measured. Variables were explored to identify a model of spiritual care. METHOD: A descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was employed. Analyses of data using descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted with a convenience sample of 171 PMH nurses. RESULTS: Participants scored high on measurement of spiritual perspectives, moderate on measurement of knowledge about recovery-oriented practice, and indicated a moderate degree of frequency of provision of spiritual care. Nurses who viewed themselves as “spiritual and religious” provided more frequent spiritual care and had higher levels of spiritual perspectives than those who viewed themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Significant contributors to spiritual care were spiritual perspectives and years of experience as a PMH nurse. Knowledge of recovery-oriented practice, however, did not contribute to a model of spiritual care. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses’ spiritual perspectives, religiosity, and years of experience are factors that may explain nurse-provided spiritual care. Findings imply that spiritual and/or religious development may support PMH nurses to provide spiritual care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-122
Author(s):  
Hanieh Dehestani ◽  
Zeinab Moshfeghy ◽  
Fatemeh Ghodrati

Background: The mental health of the mother has a great influence on the health of her fetus. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the mother's spiritual well-being and forgiveness with maternal-fetal attachment (MFA). Methods: This is a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study. A sample of 200 female participants was selected by applying a simple sampling method among the mothers hospitalized in 3 clinics during the period of 2017-2018. The Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Health and Pollard & Anderson Forgiveness Questionnaires were used toassess the correlation between the spiritual health and forgiveness of the mother with MFA. Results: The relationship between attachment parameters including sentimental and emotional behaviors (r = 0.365, p = 0.0001), near-proximity-keeping behaviors (r = 0.261, p = 0.002), care behaviors (r = 0.339, p = 0.0001), mother’s attention to baby (r = 0.19, p = 0.026), versus all attachment behaviors (r = 0.349, p = 0.0001) and high level of spiritual well-being was significant, whereas the relationship between the mother’s forgiveness score and all the attachment components was not meaningful. However, the high level of forgiveness score was significant with all of the attachment components (p<0.0001). Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between the mother’s mental health and forgiveness and the attachment versus its components. It is recommended that in order to reduce the stress level and promotion of MFA, training courses for spiritual programs and mechanisms for the creation of forgiveness should be scheduled in the pregnancy plans.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-126
Author(s):  
Stephanie Borg Spagnol

This paper explores the experiences of an oncologist, a clinical complementary therapist, and a clinical psychologist regarding the use of complementary therapies (CTs) by cancer patients. Additionally, it also investigates the efficacy of CTs and their contribution in alleviating the side-effects of cancer and its treatment when used simultaneously with conventional cancer medication. A qualitative research design using narrative inquiry was adopted to gain the in-depth experience of the three participants. It is a cross-sectional study, portraying a longitudinal perspective through the professional years of experience that these research participants have in the oncology domain. Purposive sampling was the method used to choose the participants, and data was collected through in-depth narrative interviewing. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic narrative analysis. Four central themes emerged from this study that depict: (1) the impact of cancer on the patients’ well-being, (2) the role of complementary therapies from the practitioners’ perspective, (3) the need for reliable information that is easily accessible to both patients and healthcare practitioners, and (4) the imminent demand for therapists who are qualified in clinical complementary therapies. Conclusions drawn from this study indicate that more evidence-based research is required to support the use of CTs in cancer care as well as additional training on CTs to the healthcare professionals. It is advised that oncology doctors are informed about the versatility of CTs, their benefits and the possible harmful interactions with conventional cancer medication, and additionally, it is recommended that in order to increase patients’ awareness of the use of CTs within cancer care, information on their safety and efficacy should be made more readily available to the patients. Furthermore, the need for more complementary therapists who are specialised to work within the field of oncology was identified, hence it is recommended that local vocational institutions such as MCAST address this demand by providing accredited courses and training in clinical complementary therapies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095148482110486
Author(s):  
Marilyn V Whitman ◽  
Russell A Matthews ◽  
Eric S Williams

Introduction Supervisor undermining has recently gained increasing attention due to its negative effects on employee health and well-being. In the healthcare context, negative supervisor behaviors have been linked to unfavorable individual and organizational outcomes as well as medical errors and patient mortality. Our study, therefore, examines the influence that supervisor undermining behavior has on employee engagement and performance within a standard job stress framework. Methods Our sample consisted of occupational therapists, a health professions group who is growing in demand and importance in the U.S. and has unique job demands. Using an observational, cross-sectional study design, a convenience sample of 521 occupational therapists completed an online survey. A series of independent t-test and multiple-groups path analytic modeling was used. Results Participants who had a supervisor perceived as engaging in undermining behaviors reported lower levels of resources, higher levels of demands, less motivation, and more overload than those who did not perceive supervisor undermining. These participants were also less engaged and reported lower levels of performance. Conclusion Our results shed further light on the importance of supervisory behaviors specifically in a healthcare setting and the need for organizations to create an environment that promotes positive and productive workplace behaviors.


Author(s):  
Mahya Torkaman ◽  
Jamileh Farokhzadian ◽  
Mohammad Hosein Fadaei

Background Spiritual Well-Being (SWB) is an important aspect of health. Since soldiers, as members of community, are faced with numerous spiritual, psychological, and physical problems, belief in spirituality can play an important role in explaining their purpose in life (PIL). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate SWB, PIL, and the relationship between these two concepts in conscripts. In this cross-sectional study, 301 soldiers were selected by available sampling method from one of the military barracks in Iran 2019. Data were collected using the demographic, SWB, and PIL questionnaires. The results showed that SWB of the soldiers were at the high level (100.6 ± 12.30) and their PIL were at the moderate level (112.92 ± 13.70). Furthermore, a direct and intermediate relationship was observed between the soldiers' SWB and PIL (P <0.001, r = 0.50). Based on the findings, increased SWB enhanced PIL in soldiers and vice versa. To increase generalizability of the data, studies over a larger statistical population are recommended in different cultures. Findings of this study can also identify the interventional strategies to increase the soldiers' purpose in life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Tuong Pham ◽  
Jia Jia Lee ◽  
Nhu Hiep Pham ◽  
Thi Do Quyen Phan ◽  
Khoa Tran ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is very limited evidence on the existence of cancer-related perceived stigma and self-blame among patients with advanced cancer in Asia, and how they are associated with psychosocial outcomes. This study aimed to address the gap in the current literature by (1) assessing perceived stigma, behavioural self-blame and characterological self-blame among Vietnamese patients with advanced cancer, and (2) investigating the associations of perceived stigma and self-blame (behavioural and characterological) with depression, emotional well-being and social well-being. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 200 Vietnamese patients with stage IV solid cancer. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Emotional well-being and social well-being were measured with the relevant domains of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scale. Perceived stigma was assessed using the sense of stigma subscale of Kissane’s Shame and Stigma Scale. Behavioural self-blame and characterological self-blame were measured by the patients’ answers to the questions on whether their cancer was due to patient’s behaviour or character. Multivariable linear regressions were used to investigate the associations while controlling for patient characteristics. Results Approximately three-fourths (79.0%, n = 158) of the participants reported perceived stigma with an average score of 20.5 ± 18.0 (out of 100). More than half of the participants reported behavioural self-blame (56.3%, n = 112) or characterological self-blame (62.3%, n = 124). Higher perceived stigma was associated with lower emotional well-being (ß = -0.0; p = 0.024). Behavioural self-blame was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms, emotional well-being or social well-being. Patients who reported characterological self-blame reported greater depressive symptoms (ß = 3.0; p = 0.020) and lower emotional well-being (ß = -1.6; p = 0.038). Conclusion Perceived stigma and self-blame were common amongst Vietnamese advanced cancer patients. Perceived stigma was associated with lower emotional well-being while characterological self-blame were associated with greater depressive symptoms and lower emotional well-being. Interventions should address perceived stigma and self-blame among this population.


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