Prevalence and associated factors of spiritual needs among patients with cancer and family caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the prevalence of spiritual needs and identify factors associated with spiritual needs among patients with cancer and family caregivers.


METHODS
Descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative.


METHODS
Inpatients and outpatients at a university medical center in the southwestern United States.


METHODS
156 patients with cancer and 68 family caregivers who were primarily white and Christian and mostly perceived their cancer as not life threatening.


METHODS
Self-report questionnaires, including the Spiritual Interests Related to Illness Tool and Information About You. Statistical analysis involved analyses of variance, correlations, and factor analysis.


METHODS
Spiritual needs and desire for nursing help with spiritual needs.


RESULTS
The most important spiritual needs included being positive, loving others, finding meaning, and relating to God. The least important were needing to ask "why" questions and preparing for dying. Desire for nursing assistance with spiritual needs was moderate and varied. Variables correlated with spiritual needs and desire for nurse help included religiosity, being an inpatient, and perceiving the cancer as incurable. Desire for nurse help and importance of spiritual needs were directly correlated.


CONCLUSIONS
Distressing spiritual needs were reported least frequently. Certain factors appear to be associated with how much spiritual need is perceived and how much nurse help with those needs is wanted.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with cancer and family caregivers have similar spiritual needs that may require care. Spiritual assessment and therapeutics can target specific types of spiritual needs. A nurse's help with spiritual needs, however, is not always wanted.
Taylor
Elizabeth Johnston
EJ
School of Nursing, Loma Linda University, California, USA. ejtaylor@llu.edu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States