The Importance of Spirituality for Women Facing Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Breast cancer remains significantly distressing and produces profound changes in women’s lives. Spirituality is an important resource at the time of diagnosis and treatment decisions. This qualitative study aimed to explore the spiritual experience of women diagnosed with breast cancer and the considerations of spirituality in health care using the existential phenomenology approach. The sampling procedure was intentional, based on the study’s exclusion and inclusion criteria. Forty women participated in individual interviews. The research was conducted in the outpatient clinic of a reference federal university hospital in South-Eastern Brazil. Throughout the research process, ethical principles were carefully followed. Five themes were identified: (1) meaning of spirituality–source of spiritual strength, (2) well-being in the relationship with God, (3) well-being in religious fellowship, (4) values and purpose of life–meaning in life, and (5) spirituality as a foundation to continue. Respect for patient’s spiritual values was recognised as a fundamental principle in health care. Spirituality was revealed as a source of support during the complex process of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Thus, health care professionals that value and encourage spirituality are needed, favouring better patient response to the diagnosis.

Improved Machine Learning-Based Predictive Models for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

“…These modifications or mutations may occur spontaneously as a result of the increase in entropy, or they may be triggered by other factors. For example, electromagnetic radiation (X-rays, microwaves, ultraviolet-rays, gamma-rays, et cetera), nuclear radiation, bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, chemicals in the air, heat, food, water, free radicals, mechanical cell-level injury, evolution, and aging of DNA and RNA [ 3 ]. In general, benign and malignant are two classes of tumors.…”

The Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Spirituality Therapy in Reducing Anxiety in Women with Breast Cancer

“…The therapist guides the clients toward spiritual issues to improve the process of treatment for mental and physical health, and the clients make efforts to reduce anxiety and enhance hope for the future through strengthening spirituality and obtaining peace bearing in mind spiritual needs. 18 On the other hand, the threatening nature of cancer increases the spiritual needs of these patients. Patients with cancer often utilize their spiritual and religious beliefs to gain meaning in life and hope during their disease and improvement.…”

“…It appears that the threatening nature of cancer increases the spiritual needs of humans. 18 Patients with cancer regard their spiritual and religious beliefs as a resource for gaining meaning for life during the disease and treatment and utilize it to cope and deal with the concept of death. In light of that, spirituality is an effective resource for coping with the physical and mental responses in order to reduce worry in patients.…”

“…Spiritual therapy approaches encourage therapists to address the important spiritual issues of the clients at an appropriate time during their treatment and to utilize language and interventions that indicate the respect and value held by the therapists regarding the spiritual issues of the clients in order to use the potential power of belief and spirituality in the clients in their treatment and improvement. 18 In spiritual therapy, the therapist urges the patients to explore the spiritual issues and topics related to their improvement and recovery. The therapist's emphasis on spiritual issues is impartial and non-judgmental.…”

Espiritualidade como recurso terapêutico no ambulatório de cardiologia [Spirituality as a therapeutic resource in the cardiology outpatient clinic] [La espiritualidad como recurso terapéutico en el ambulatorio de cardiología]

“…O papel do enfermeiro é conduzir o paciente ao CRE positivo, ou seja, auxiliar no desenvolvimento de estratégias para enfrentamento das adversidades e situações de grande estresse, com a aplicação da fé, levando à uma melhora geral do quadro e amenizando o sofrimento, tanto físico quanto psíquico. A elevação e a entrega dos pensamentos a um ser superior, no compartilhamento do novo peso que a existência adquiriu, traz leveza ao indivíduo, pois a compreensão de que há uma razão e uma finalidade para os fatos e a de que não se está só se refletem na renovação da esperança e do otimismo, com sensações de conforto e possibilidades de mudanças na vida 8,18,19,[30][31][32][33] .…”