Unmet Spiritual Needs: A Study among Patients with Chronic Illness

Abstract

Objectives: The conventional healthcare system operates on the ‘physiological man’ and overlooks the ‘spiritual man’. Many studies reported on the unmet spiritual needs of terminally ill patients. Despite spiritual care being a predictor of a positive mindset (meaning making) among patients with terminal illnesses, assessing spiritual needs and providing adequate spiritual care is still a distant phenomenon in the healthcare setting. Materials and Methods: With the help of a spiritual needs questionnaire, we analysed the unmet spiritual needs and preferences of 30 terminally ill patients. Specific attention was given to psychosocial, emotional, existential, religious and acceptance of death. Results: The results show that 72% of terminally ill patients reported a strong desire to have their spiritual needs met. Psychosocial needs scored the highest, while acceptance of dying scored the least. The need to be connected with the family was one of the strongest wishes expressed in the study. Religious needs ranked as the second category of needs. Findings show that the highest needs are intertwined with the patients’ culture. Conclusion: In India, religion and family connections are essential; terminally ill patients expressed the desire that meeting these two aspects makes their lives meaningful even at the end stage. The results warrant a spiritual needs assessment as a deathbed test to make the end–of–life more meaningful.