Spirituality in African-American mothers coping with a seriously ill infant.
OBJECTIVE
To describe how African-American mothers' spirituality helped them cope during the time of their infants' hospitalization for a serious illness.


METHODS
Fourteen mothers whose infants were seriously ill in the early months of life were interviewed for this retrospective, descriptive study.


RESULTS
The core theme related to prayer. Four mothers reported a strengthened faith, while two mothers continued to have difficulty relating to God or attending church.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the importance of understanding and respecting the spiritual needs and expressions of spirituality in African-American mothers who are coping with a serious illness in one of their children.
Wilson
S M
SM
School of Nursing, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, USA.
Miles
M S
MS
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015144:Southeastern United States; D029181:Spirituality