Abstract
BackgroundCancer is a global disease that affects all populations, including Muslims. Psychological and spiritual care of Muslim patients with cancer includes psychosocial and spiritual techniques that help to improve their mental health and spiritual well-being. Although these techniques are available to cancer patients worldwide, they are poorly studied among Muslim patients. This review aims to integrate the literature on the psychosocial-spiritual outcomes and perspectives of Muslim patients with cancer who have undergone psychotherapy.MethodWe used the Whittemore and Knafl five-step methodology. We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO using relevant keywords. Studies that focused on adult patients with cancer and on published evidence of using psychosocial and spiritual interventions among Muslim patients were included. Each study was reviewed, evaluated, and integrated.ResultsA systematic search produced 18 studies that were thematically analyzed. Results showed different psychosocial and spiritual approaches currently used to care for Muslim patients with cancer that target mainly patients’ mental health, quality of life, and spiritual well-being. Four major themes emerged: (1) Treating Psychological Distress Without Psychopharmacologic Agents, (2) Improving Knowledge of Cancer for Improving QOL, (3) Depending on Faith for Spiritual Well-being, and (4) Relying on Religious and Spiritual Sources: Letting Go, Letting God.ConclusionsThe rigor of psychosocial and spiritual studies that target psychosocial-spiritual outcomes of Muslim cancer patients needs to be improved to reach conclusive evidence about their efficacy in this population.
Highlights
Cancer is a global disease that affects all populations, including Muslims
Up to 40% of patients diagnosed with cancer experience clinically significant levels of psychosocial-spiritual distress, often related to the profound life changes associated with a cancer diagnosis, the symptoms associated with the disease itself, and treatment side effects [2, 3]
The purpose of this review was to integrate the literature on the mental health, spiritual well-being, and quality of life outcomes with the perspectives of Muslims who have been treated with psychosocial and spiritual techniques to treat the psychosocial-spiritual distress associated with cancer or its treatment
Summary
Psychological and spiritual care of Muslim patients with cancer includes psychosocial and spiritual techniques that help to improve their mental health and spiritual well-being. Up to 40% of patients diagnosed with cancer experience clinically significant levels of psychosocial-spiritual distress, often related to the profound life changes associated with a cancer diagnosis, the symptoms associated with the disease itself, and treatment side effects [2, 3]. Such distress can result in serious and far-reaching negative sequelae: Cancer care requires attention to psychosocial-spiritual concerns to support patients’ successful adjustment [7]. Few cancer-care specific psycho-oncologic interventions are specific to Muslim patients [10]
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