Belief in God’s Help During Hepatitis C: A Qualitative Study on Muslim Patients in Pakistan

Abstract

Religious/spiritual beliefs play an important role in nursing of patients during chronic condition. Religion comprises an institutionalized set of transcendent ideas, while spirituality is personal and subjective dimension of religious experience in search of sacred (Hill and Pargament in Psychol Relig Spiritual S(1):3-17, 2008). The prevailing literature describes the influential impact of religiosity/spirituality on coping with chronic disease, but specifically patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) have not been studied in Pakistani context. This study examined the patients' belief in religious/spiritual coping, role of religious/spiritual beliefs and prayer as coping strategy. Furthermore, it explored the importance of religious/spiritual beliefs in diverting attention from pain and other needs of CLD patient. A total of 20 patients with chronic liver disease were selected through an appropriate screening process. Subsequently, in-depth detailed interviews were conducted to gather experiences of the hepatitis patients. Religious/spiritual beliefs put forth multiple positive effects that help in coping with chronic hepatitis C. It has been found that patients of hepatitis C use prayer as a coping strategy. Religious/spiritual beliefs have been found as source of diverting attention from pain for the patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C.

Factor Analysis of Social Support for Hepatitis-C Patients in Punjab

“…These findings are consistent with previous findings (Sgorbini, O'Brien, & Jackson, 2009). Patients demand intensive care and social support as they feel better when they find themselves in presence of family and friends (Sohail et al, 2019;Sohail, 2018;Sohail, Yasin & Ahmad, 2018). Recent studies confirm thatsocial support influence patients' psychosocial behavior that also helps in adherence to and management of medical treatment (Sublette et al, 2015).…”

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping with Health Anxiety through Religiosity during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Our findings show that health anxiety has a positive relationship with religious coping, confirming that Muslims in Pakistan who suffer from pandemic-induced anxiety use religiosity as a coping strategy to deal with life circumstances. Past scholars corroborate that religious coping is a salient factor in helping people during health-related crises (Ali et al 2018;Sohail 2018;Sohail et al 2019;Zamanian et al 2015). Local research has also confirmed that youth in Pakistan turn to religion when attempting to cope with the pandemic and altered life circumstances (Salman et al 2020).…”

Cross Sectional Survey of Pakistani Muslims Coping Health Anxiety through Religiosity during COVID-19 Pandemic

“…These results suggest that those who were anxious about their health did use religiosity as a coping strategy. A plethora of literature reports that religious coping helps people in health related crisis (Sohail et al, 2019;Sohail, 2018;Zamanian et al, 2015). Huang & rong Liu (2020) found that religion as component of emotion-focused coping has been used as coping strategy during the COVID-19 outbreak.…”