Chinese patients with advanced cancer identified 6 themes of important spiritual needs

1. Chinese patients with advanced cancer identified themes such as being treated as normal and independent individuals, receiving and giving love, seeking inner peace, connecting with spiritual sources, finding meaning and purpose, and preparing for death as important spiritual needs.

2. Within the theme of connecting with spiritual sources, the subthemes of important needs include seeking folk beliefs and seeking inner faith.

Evidence Rating Level: 3 (Fair)

Patients facing serious illnesses, such as cancer, often require attention to their physical and psychosocial needs. Research has shown that patients with advanced cancer often have at least one spiritual need. However, what these needs are and how different cultural backgrounds influence and shape these needs have not been adequately explored in the literature. This study aimed to explore the spiritual needs of Chinese patients with advanced cancer.

This was a qualitative study that included 13 Chinese, mandarin-speaking adult patients with stage III or IV cancer. Patients with mental illness or inability to communicate were excluded. The primary outcome was themes of spiritual needs reported by patients and gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted by an oncology nurse and transcribed and reviewed by two separate coders.

The results demonstrated that themes such as being treated as normal and independent individuals, receiving and giving love, seeking inner peace, connecting with spiritual sources, finding meaning and purpose, and preparing for death were all important needs voiced by patients. Within the theme of connecting with spiritual sources, the subthemes of important needs included seeking folk beliefs and seeking inner faith. This study was limited by the small sample size and only focused on hospitalized patients. However, these results highlight both shared and cultural-specific themes of spiritual spirits that healthcare providers and caregivers of patients with advanced cancer should consider.

Click here to read this study in Scientific Reports.

Image: PD

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