[Development of WHOQOL spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs module].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development of the "spirituality, religiousness, and personal beliefs" for the WHOQOL-SRBP instrument, and to report the main findings of research conducted with focus groups composed of subjects representative of the most common religious practices, patients, and healthcare professionals.


METHODS
The several stages of the development of the WHOQOL-SRBP instrument are described: literature review, focus groups, elaboration of national questions, elaboration of consensual items, pilot-study development, pilot-study application, question performance analysis, development of the definitive instrument, and field testing. The focus group stage was conducted in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, and included 15 groups (n=142). These included separate groups for healthcare professionals, acute, chronic, and terminal patients, religious groups (Catholics, Evangelicals, Afro-Brazilians, and Spiritualists), and atheists. Each group discussed facets suggested by a group of "experts", as well as any further dimensions spontaneously raised by group participants.


CONCLUSIONS
The focus group technique proved itself adequate for the collection of different opinions from the participants, allowing for the testing of the hypotheses proposed by the researchers, redirecting and/or broadening previously established concepts. In addition, it highlighted the importance of the discussion of the spiritual dimension for patient's lives.
Fleck
Marcelo Pio da Almeida
MP
Departamento de Psiquiatria e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. mfleck.voy@zaz.com.Br
Borges
Zulmira Newlands
ZN
Bolognesi
Gustavo
G
da Rocha
Neusa Sica
NS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires