RESUMEN
RATIONALE: When diagnosed with cancer, a patient has to cope with stressors such as pain, fatigue, and the experience of life-threat that can cause great distress. Spirituality may be a resource for coping with these problems, thereby reducing distress. OBJECTIVE: Two questionnaire studies-the first a cross-sectional (Study 1; Nâ¯=â¯216) and the second a one-year longitudinal (Study 2; Nâ¯=â¯383)-investigated among Dutch cancer patients whether spirituality lessens the impact of pain, fatigue, and perceived life-threat on distress. METHOD: Data for Study 1 were gathered in 2006-2007 and for Study 2 in 2009-2010. Spirituality was measured with the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List, which assesses six distinct but related aspects of spirituality. Linear regression analysis and marginal effect plots were applied. RESULTS: Limited evidence appeared for the hypothesis that spirituality reduces the impact of pain, fatigue, or perceived life threat on distress. Meaningfulness and acceptance might reduce a negative impact of increases in fatigue during the first year after the start of cancer treatment. In contrast, spirituality might enhance a negative impact of increases in perceived life threat. CONCLUSIONS: Processes of appraisal might explain the findings. Experiences of meaningfulness and acceptance might help to reappraise fatigue in a less threatening way, thereby reducing distress. Conversely, appraising the cancer as life-threatening might conflict with spiritual experiences of meaning, acceptance, and awe about life. Future studies should focus on the processes by which the various aspects of spirituality influence the adjustment of cancer patients and use other outcome variables than non-specific distress. Such studies may provide further clues as to how the spirituality of patients can be harnessed to help them adjust to a serious life event such as the occurrence of cancer.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Síntomas sin Explicación Médica , Neoplasias/psicología , Espiritualidad , Estrés Psicológico/prevención & control , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neoplasias/terapia , Encuestas y CuestionariosAsunto(s)
Evaluación en Enfermería/métodos , Religión , Espiritualidad , Femenino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMEN
Many cancer patients experience spirituality as highly supportive while coping with their disease. Most research as well as most questionnaires in this field is religious orientated. The Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List was developed to enable research on spirituality among religious and nonreligious people. It consists of seven subscales that measure connectedness with oneself, with others and nature, and with the transcendent. Among a student, a healthy population, a healthy interested, a curative cancer, and a palliative cancer sample factorial, convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated, as well as adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias/psicología , Espiritualidad , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Análisis Factorial , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Psicometría , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Spirituality is an important theme in health research, since a spiritual orientation can help people to cope with the consequences of a serious disease. Knowledge on the role of spirituality is, however, limited, as most research is based on measures of religiosity rather than spirituality. A questionnaire that transcends specific beliefs is a prerequisite for quantifying the importance of spirituality among people who adhere to a religion or none at all. In this review, we discuss ten questionnaires that address spirituality as a universal human experience. Questionnaires are evaluated with regard to psychometric properties, item formulation and confusion with well-being and distress. Although none of the questionnaires fulfilled all the criteria, the multidimensional Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire is promising.
Asunto(s)
Actitud Frente a la Salud , Investigación Biomédica/métodos , Autoevaluación Diagnóstica , Religión y Medicina , Espiritualidad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , Salud Holística , Humanos , Psicometría/normas , Calidad de Vida , Valores SocialesRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: When comparing the efficacy of different interventions for cancer patients, there should be certainty that these types are sufficiently different in the way they are actually presented. The aim of the present study is to develop a method for assessing differences between the content of social support groups and experiential-existential therapy groups. METHODS: Independent and blind raters assessed video fragments of both intervention types, using a self-developed checklist of five questions. This checklist was first evaluated by a group of experts for appropriateness, importance, and rateability. RESULTS: Three out of the five questions were selected on the basis of these experts' evaluation and on inter-rater reliability. The scores on these questions were used to evaluate five social support groups and six experiential-existential therapy groups for breast cancer patients. According to the independent and blind raters the content of the two intervention forms appeared to be significantly different. CONCLUSION: The assessment method we developed appeared reliable and valid. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our assessment method is feasible as a check to compare the content of psycho-oncological interventions and can be easily adjusted into a test for other intervention types.