Understanding religious and spiritual influences on adjustment to cancer: individual patterns and differences

Abstract

Higher levels of religious and spiritual engagement have been shown to be associated with better adjustment in dealing with serious illness. Nevertheless, the pattern of such engagement may vary substantially among individuals. This paper presents exploratory research with the goal of identifying subgroups of individuals with non-terminal cancer who vary along multiple dimensions of religious/spiritual (R/S) involvement and well-being. Cluster analysis utilized both R/S (FACIT-Sp) and quality of life variables (e.g., FACT-G) to identify subgroups within 114 individuals (Median age = 65; 59% female) under care for cancer. Additional R/S and adjustment variables were used to explore further distinctions among these groups. Four clusters were identified: High R/S (45%), with the lowest depression; Low R /High S (25%), also with good adjustment; Negative Religious Copers (14%), with the highest depression; and Low R/S (16%), with the poorest adjustment to cancer. The results support the value of differentiating patterns of religious and spiritual engagement in relation to well-being, with implications for matching psycho-social interventions with individuals.

Exploring the individual patterns of spiritual well-being in people newly diagnosed with advanced cancer: a cluster analysis

“…Such effect of individual variation in cancer adjustment has been observed in the literature [27,28]. This finding is in line with the recognition that people are prone to be distressed in different ways and in different degrees when confronted with a cancer diagnosis [1].…”

“…The small number of subjects in Cluster 4 leads one to worry about the outlier effect, but is reassuring that there is agreement via both hierarchical and k-means methods about the optimal number of clusters. Previous cluster analytic studies have examined variation of patterns among individuals in the context of religious coping, or how subgroups may differ in terms of religious involvement [28,35]. This study, however, is the first attempt to explore the pattern of spiritual well-being as an outcome indicator rather than a proxy of coping strategy.…”

Spiritual/Religious Coping of Women with Breast Cancer

“…The results allow us to affirm that, for most of the women in this study, participating regularly in activities related to religion/spirituality stimulated the use of SRC in a positive way, which could help them to cope with breast cancer and its treatments with more optimism and perseverance; data confirmed by other scientific studies (Kristeller et al 2011;Geronasso and Coelho 2012).…”

Moving Forward in Their Journey: Participants’ Experience of Taste & See, A Church-Based Programme to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food

“…When faced with health-related struggles including diagnosis of, or adjustment to, a chronic condition, turning to one's faith and harnessing spiritual beliefs to assist with coping has been observed in the literature [20,21]. It might be that our participants may not perceive obesity as a chronic condition with an immediate health threat, as for example with diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.…”