The SpREUK questionnaires as tools to measure spiritual/religious attitudes of patients dealing will chronic diseases

Abstract

Background Although there is mounting research showing a connection between spirituality/religiosity (SpR) and health, understanding their relationship is only preliminary. Future studies depend on having reliable measures of these constructs which address SpR in the context coping, and can be easily incorporated into the study designs. The SpREUK questionnaire [Ostermann et al., Forsch Komplement Klass Naturheil 2004;11:346–53; Bussing et al., Health Qual life outcomes 2005;3:1–10; Int J Psychiatr Med 2007;37:39–57; Zeitschr Gesundheits 2008;31:35–7] appears to be a good choice for assessing a patient's interest in spiritual concerns which is not biased for or against a particular religious commitment. Methods The SpREUK comprises a 16-item main manual (Cronbach's alpha=0.92), a 6-item BENEFIT manual (alpha=0.93), and a 25-item PRACTICES manual (alpha=0.92). The main manual differentiates Search for Meaningful Support because of illness (spiritual quest orientation); Trust in Higher Guidance (intrinsic religiosity); and Positive Interpretation of Disease (hint to change life because of illness; healing is regarded as a process of ‘becoming’ in terms of reflection of life). The BENEFIT scale assesses beneficial aspects of intrinsic SpR. To avoid intermixes of attitudes, convictions, and forms of SpR practices, PRACTICES manual can be used as a separate tool and differentiates Conventional Religious Practice; Existentialistic Practice; Spiritual Body–Mind Practices; and Humanistic Practice. Results On the basis of data from 821 patients with various chronic diseases (mean age 54±14 years), we can confirm the underlying concept of the SpREUK. Particularly Positive Interpretation of Disease had an obvious spiritual connotation and correlated with Search ( r =0.56), Trust ( r =0.45), Spiritual Body–Mind Practices ( r =0.45), and Existentialistic Practices ( r =0.47). Patients with higher age and cancer had significantly higher interest in SpR issues than patients with chronic pain diseases or patients with multiple scleroses. With respect to Life Satisfaction (modified BMSLS), in patients with chronic pain disease, just the BENEFIT scale correlated with life satisfaction aspects Future Perspectives ( r =0.29), Myself ( r =0.28), and Overall Life ( r =0.22). Physical Health (SF-12) did correlate with SpR issues, while Mental Health (SF-12) correlated negatively with the spiritual quest dimension ( r =−0.34). Conclusion The SpREUK questionnaire reveals to be a valid and reliable instrument tested in patients with chronic diseases and a Christian, Muslim, or agnostic/atheistic background, which heeds the spiritual quest orientation, intrinsic religiosity, and uniquely integrates the topic of ‘meaning of disease’ (reappraisal, i.e. hint to change life and). Although the relationship between SpR and various dimensions of health and quality of life has been extensively examined during the past decade, SpR has to be regarded as a distinctive concept which nevertheless may be related to quality of life aspects.