title: Search for meaningful support and the meaning of illness in German cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spiritual needs are an essential component of holistic health care. Several studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcome, coping skills and health-related quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the newly developed SpREUK inventory, we examined how German cancer patients (n=115) by themselves view the impact of spirituality and religiosity (SpR) on their health and how they cope with illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cancer patients with both a religious and spiritual attitude had significantly higher values in the search for meaningful support and in addressing the stabilizing effects of SpR than patients without such attitudes. Patients with non-spiritual religious attitudes had a lower perception of the beneficial effects of their SpR and significantly lower needs for meaningful support. Female cancer patients were convinced that finding access to a spiritual source has a positive influence on their illness, that illness has meaning, regard illness as a chance for their own development and as a hint to change life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of a patient's spirituality can help service providers predict aspects of psychosocial needs and to respond sensitively and appropriately. The SpREUK questionnaire is a useful tool to define patients who are more in need of spiritual support than others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Immunology, Community Hospital, Herdecke, Germany. Arndt.Buessing@uni-whide
authors.forename: Arndt
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Büssing
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ostermann
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Matthiessen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People