Wellness Check: Spirituality
1. This randomized controlled trial showed that stroke patients who received spiritual care sessions following intracranial hemorrhage surgery had improvements in quality of life scores compared to the control group.
2. Furthermore, patients who received the spiritual care sessions had a significant improvement in quality of life scores following the intervention compared to before.
Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)
Stroke patients experience several unpleasant symptoms that can impair their functioning and quality of life. Supporting the psychological well-being of stroke patients is being recognized as increasingly important. Spiritual health is an important aspect of overall health that can contribute to a patient’s well-being, and spiritual care can have many benefits for patients. However, its role in stroke patients is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the role that spiritual care has on the quality of life of stroke patients following intracranial hemorrhage surgery.
This single-blind, randomized controlled trial included 100 stroke patients aged 18 to 60. Patients were included if they had undergone craniotomy at least three months before the study, had no severe visual or hearing impairments, no mental disorders, and could care for themselves. Patients were excluded if they had an occurrence of health disorders of any kind during the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Those in the intervention group received four one-hour spiritual care sessions. Participants completed the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QoL) before the study and one month following the intervention. The primary outcome was the SS-QoL score as a measure of quality of life.
The results demonstrated that stroke patients who received spiritual care sessions had significant improvements in SS-QoL scores compared to the control group. Patients in the intervention group had a significant improvement in quality of life scores following the intervention compared to before, while those in the control group did not. However, the study was limited by the variation in the spiritual and religious beliefs of the patients, which may have influenced the effectiveness of the intervention. Nonetheless, the present study suggested that spiritual care may help improve the quality of life of stroke patients following intracranial hemorrhage surgery.
1. In this cross-sectional study, there was a high-level negative correlation between spiritual well-being and pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain.
2. Furthermore, a low-level negative correlation existed between spiritual well-being and pain intensity.
Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)
Several factors influence pain, including central nervous system activity, emotions, and beliefs. Chronic pain is a significantly burdensome condition where pain persists longer than three months. Pain catastrophizing involves negative emotions during pain, which can impair coping mechanisms, resulting in a significant burden of pain, and can be a risk factor for chronic pain. Spirituality has been thought to play a role in coping with pain. However, spirituality’s role in pain levels and catastrophizing remains poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the impact of spiritual well-being on pain catastrophizing, pain intensity, and pain management in those with chronic pain.
This study included 399 patients with ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis living in Turkey. Participants were included if they were aged 18-65 years, had a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis or rheumatoid arthritis by a specialist physician, experienced pain for at least three months, and consulted a doctor at least once for pain. Participants completed the Descriptive Characteristics Questionnaire to gather information on demographics and pain experience, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale to assess pain catastrophizing, the Three-Factor Spiritual Well-Being Scale to assess spiritual well-being, and the Numerical Rating Scale to evaluate the level of pain they had experienced in the last month. The primary outcome was the association between spiritual well-being and the various scores related to pain and pain catastrophizing.
The results demonstrated a high-level negative correlation between spiritual well-being and scores on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in patients with chronic pain. There was also a negative weak-level association between spiritual well-being and pain intensity in the same group. Furthermore, pain management methods were associated with Pain Catastrophizing Scale scores, where those who used non-pharmacological methods demonstrated significantly lower pain catastrophizing. However, the study was limited by including only patients with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, which may limit the generalizability to patients with other chronic pain conditions. Nonetheless, the present study demonstrated that spiritual well-being may be important in managing chronic pain.
1. In this cross-sectional study, there was a significant negative relationship between supportive care needs and spiritual well-being and between supportive care needs and psychological resilience in breast cancer patients.
2. Furthermore, psychological resilience was shown to have a mediating effect on the relationship between spiritual well-being and supportive care needs.
Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)
Breast cancer places a significant burden on affected individuals and can result in symptoms of distress in patients. Spiritual well-being is recognized as an important dimension in the management and support of breast cancer patients. Psychological resilience is a response to stressful situations that enables adaptation. Spiritual well-being and psychological resilience may play a role in reducing supportive care needs in breast cancer patients, but the interaction between these factors remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between spiritual well-being and psychological resilience and determine their impact on supportive care needs in women with breast cancer.
This study included 126 breast cancer patients being treated at an adult oncology outpatient clinic who received care between July 27 and September 29, 2022. Participants were included if they were 18 years or older, were diagnosed with breast cancer at least one month prior, and had no psychiatric diagnoses. Psychological resilience was evaluated using the Connor-Davidson Psychological Resilience Short Form, spiritual well-being was assessed via The Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and The Supportive Needs Scale Short Form was used to assess supportive care needs. Information on these scales was collected via face-to-face interviews with patients. The primary outcome was the influence of resilience and spiritual well-being on supportive care needs.
The results demonstrated a significant negative correlation between supportive care needs and spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being was significantly affected by age, marital status, medical diagnoses, duration of diagnosis, and stage of diagnosis, but not the number of children, education, or employment status. There was also a significant negative correlation between supportive care needs and resilience, and psychological resilience was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between spiritual well-being and supportive care needs. However, the study was limited by the small sample size, which may have impacted the results and generalizability. Nonetheless, the present study suggested that both spiritual well-being and psychological resilience may influence the supportive care needs of women with breast cancer.
Image: PD
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