The role of religious and spiritual beliefs in coping with malignant melanoma.
This study investigated the role of spiritual and religious beliefs in ambulatory patients coping with malignant melanoma. One-hundred and seventeen patients with melanoma being seen in an outpatient clinic completed a battery of measurements including the newly validated Systems of Belief Inventory (SBI-54). No correlation was found between SBI-54 scores and levels of distress. However, there was a correlation between greater reliance on spiritual and religious beliefs and use of an active-cognitive coping style (r = 0.46, p < 0.0001). Data suggest that use of religious and spiritual beliefs is associated with an active rather than passive form of coping. We suggest that such beliefs provide a helpful active-cognitive framework for many individuals from which to face the existential crises of life-threatening illness.
Holland
J C
JC
Department of Psychiatry, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Passik
S
S
Kash
K M
KM
Russak
S M
SM
Gronert
M K
MK
Sison
A
A
Lederberg
M
M
Fox
B
B
Baider
L
L
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological