Reliance on God's help, depression and fatigue in female cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
Because an increasing number of studies indicate that a religious attitude is associated with lower depression, we intended to investigate the interrelationship between intrinsic religiosity and depressive behavioral symptoms in cancer patients with long-term courses.


METHODS
In 396 female cancer patients recruited in East-Germany, intrinsic religiosity was measured with the scale Reliance on God's Help (RGH) from the AKU questionnaire; anxiety and depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; fatigue with the cancer fatigue scale (CFS-D); physical and mental health with the SF-12; adaptive coping styles and ESCAPE from illness with the AKU; and life satisfaction with a modification of Huebner's Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale.


RESULTS
Moderate depression-associated fatigue was prevalent in cancer patients with long term-cancer courses, while depression and anxiety were of minor prevalence. RGH, which was valued by several patients, correlated with Reappraisal: Illness as Chance; with life satisfaction dimensions such as future perspectives, overall life, and financial situation; to a small extend with Escape from Illness; and negatively with mental health. No significant correlations were found with respect to depression, anxiety, or fatigue.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to cancer patients in final stages, cancer patients with long-term courses had just a moderate reliance on external divine powers. The addressed depressive behavioral symptoms were connected with internal adaptive coping styles such as Conscious Living/Positive Attitudes rather than intrinsic religiosity in response to disease.
Büssing
Arndt
A
University Witten/Herdecke, Germany. arndt.buessing@uni-wh.de
Fischer
Julia
J
Ostermann
Thomas
T
Matthiessen
Peter F
PF
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005859:Germany, East / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires