Spiritual Expressions of African Americans and Whites in Cancer Pain

Abstract

Background Spiritual practices are one way that individuals cope with cancer pain. Purpose Describe and contrast expressions and values about the use of spirituality for pain in African American (AA) and White (WH) oncology patients. Methods Six groups (3 AA; 3 WH; n=42; mean age 58) were conducted. Focus group and qualitative methodology with a cultural interpretive lens was utilized. The Model of Integrated Spirituality provided the conceptual framework for understanding the narratives. Findings AAs and WHs did not differ on demographics, pain status, or integrative therapies. Three spirituality themes emerged: 1) pain and distress as antecedents to the use of spirituality; 2) active and existential attributes of the use of spirituality; and 3) mobilization of internal and external resources as outcomes. There were commonalities between AAs and WHs but greater frequency of certain subthemes and keywords in AAs. Conclusions Future studies should examine whether differences in overt expressions translate into different types and levels of spiritual usage. Implications for Practice Clinicians should recognizing similar as well as different uses and descriptions of spirituality between African Americans and Whites.

Spirituality and Quality of Life in Black Patients With Cancer Pain

“…These results indicated that spirituality appears to be a protective factor against patients' pain and symptom burdens and therefore heighten patients' QOL. Although previous studies have highlighted how spirituality is used as a coping skill either for cancer pain management or for the improvement of QOL, 44,45 the present study found that pain interference, symptoms, and spiritual well-being are primary contributors to the variance of overall QOL. Spiritual well-being also showed strong predictions of QOL social, emotional, and functional domains.…”

Concept Analysis of Spirituality: An Evolutionary Approach

“…Many authors on spirituality have referred to transcendence as a dimension of spirituality (Albaugh, ; Banks‐Wallace & Parks, ; Barker & Floersch, ; Barney & Buckingham, ; Bradley, ; Buck, ; Buck & Meghani, ; Chiu et al., ; Coyle, ; Crossley & Salter, ; Daly, ; Delgado, ; Gall et al., ; Griffith et al., ; Hodge & McGrew, ; Lowry, ; McSherry & Jamieson, ; Markani, Yaghmaei, & Fard, ; Miner‐Williams, ; Molzahn et al., ; Morrison‐Orton, ; Newlin et al., ; Oh & Kang, ; Papathanassoglou & Patiraki, ; Penman, Oliver, & Harrington, ; Pesut, ; Rican, ; Rich & Cinamon, ; Tanyi, ; Van Dover & Pfeiffer, ; Walton, ; Woodgate & Degner, ). Self‐transcendence has been defined as the ability to see beyond the boundaries of the self, the environment, and present limitations (Reed, ).…”

“…The third attribute that has been consistently referred to in the spirituality literature is meaning in life (Albaugh, ; Barker & Floersch, ; Buck, ; Buck & Meghani, ; Chiu et al., ; Coyle, ; Crossley & Salter, ; Daly, ; Delgado, ; Gall et al, ; Kunsongkeit & McCubbin, ; McSherry & Jamieson, ; Miner‐Williams, ; Molzahn et al., ; Morrison‐Orton, ; Mount, Lawlor, & Cassell, ; Newlin et al., ; Oh & Kang, ; Papathanassoglou & Patiraki, ; Pesut, ; Rican, ; Rich & Cinamon, ; Sessanna et al., ; Tanyi, ; Van Dover & Pfeiffer, ; Walton, ; Walton & Sullivan, ; Williams, ; Woodgate & Degner, ). This attribute of spirituality is exemplified in a study by Walton and Sullivan (), in which one man with prostate cancer said: “Having prostate cancer has certainly enhanced my understanding of my mortality … it just makes me appreciate all the more the life that I have” (p. 143).…”

Practice recommendations for pain assessment by self-report with African American older adults

“…Despite catastrophization, African Americans often are able to find a blessing even in the midst of pain. 1 They may even give the pain over to God. 34 Consequently, the health care team may misinterpret these actions as fatalistic thinking, maladaptive coping, or peripheral self-care, when, in fact, it is a form of spiritual acceptance of a physical condition and a way to relinquish control to a higher power.…”