The Spiritual Struggle of Anger toward God: A Study with Family Members of Hospice Patients

Abstract

Anger toward God is a common form of spiritual struggle, one that people often experience when they see God as responsible for severe harm or suffering. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, correlates, and preferred coping strategies associated with anger toward God among family members of hospice patients. Teams from a large hospice in the midwestern United States distributed surveys, one per household, to family members of home-care patients. The survey assessed feelings toward God (anger/disappointment and positive feelings), depressive symptoms, religiosity, and perceived meaning. Participants also rated their interest in various strategies for coping with conflicts with God. Surveys (n=134) indicated that 43% of participants reported anger/disappointment toward God, albeit usually at low levels of intensity. Anger toward God was associated with more depressive symptoms, lower religiosity, more difficulty finding meaning, and belief that the patient was experiencing greater pain. Prayer was the most highly endorsed strategy for managing conflicts with God. Other commonly endorsed strategies included reading sacred texts; handling the feelings on one's own; and conversations with friends, family, clergy, or hospice staff. Self-help resources and therapy were less popular options. Anger toward God is an important spiritual issue among family members of hospice patients, one that is commonly experienced and linked with depressive symptoms. It is valuable for hospice staff to be informed about the issue of anger toward God, especially because many family members reported interest in talking with hospice team members about such conflicts.