title: "Oh, yeah, I'm getting closer to god": spirituality and religiousness of family caregivers of cancer patients undergoing palliative care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Within the cancer palliative care setting, where both patients and family caregivers (FCs) undergo a transition from the end of curative treatment to palliative therapy, spirituality and religiousness (S/R) may be a strategy to help the patients and FCs better cope with the disease, in addition to exerting a positive impact on symptoms, particularly emotional symptoms. The present study aimed to understand how S/R influence FCs of cancer patients undergoing palliative care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study. The qualitative approach to the data was based on Bardin's content analysis technique. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ-32) was used in the description of the results. Thirty FCs of individuals with advanced cancer undergoing palliative care were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the FCs' narratives indicated that the FCs considered that religiousness and faith in God or a Supreme Being provide them with the strength to cope with the suffering associated with the care of relatives with advanced cancer. Many FCs emphasized that talking about God was somehow comforting and made them feel at peace with themselves. Four categories were identified in the FCs' narratives: (1) increase in faith and closeness to God becomes stronger, (2) rethink life issues, (3) negative interference in the extrinsic religiosity, and (4) quest for religiousness to gain strength or support. A conceptual framework was developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicated that S/R are a coping strategy frequently used by FCs of individuals with advanced cancer. The perceptions of the FCs interviewed in the present study corresponded to the four distinct categories related to spirituality and religiousness.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Post-Graduate Program (Stricto Sensu), Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil, bsrpaiva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: André Lopes
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucchetti
authors.forename: Eliane Marçon
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Paiva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012067:Religion; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult