Children with advanced cancer: responses to a spiritual quality of life interview.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to describe the responses of children with advanced cancer to a spiritual quality of life (SQL) interview.


METHODS
Sixty children, ages 6-17, responded to an SQL interview every 2 weeks, for 5 months. The questionnaires were analyzed using content analysis.


RESULTS
Children's responses were primarily relational in nature, particularly to their parents. Seventy-eight percent of the interviewees reported they did something to "feel close to God." Children prayed for a "sense of normalcy" (59%) and relational concerns (31%).


CONCLUSIONS
Children's care will be enhanced when given the opportunity to express their spiritual and relational concerns.
Kamper
RosaLee
R
Riverside Medical Clinic, Riverside, California, USA.
Van Cleve
Lois
L
Savedra
Marilyn
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States