Higher Spiritual Well-being Research Articles

Associations Between Prognostic Awareness, Acceptance of Illness, and Psychological and Spiritual Well-being Among Patients With Heart Failure

This study aimed to (1) investigate the association of prognostic awareness with psychological (distress level and emotional well-being) and spiritual well-being among patients with heart failure, and (2) assess the main and moderating effects of illness acceptance on the relationship between prognostic awareness and psychological and spiritual well-being. This study used baseline data of a Singapore cohort of patients with heart failure (N = 245) who had New York Heart Association class 3 or 4 symptoms. Patients reported their awareness of prognosis and extent of illness acceptance. Multivariable linear regressions were used to investigate the associations. Prognostic awareness was not significantly associated with psychological and spiritual well-being. Illness acceptance was associated with lower levels of distress (β [SE] = -0.9 [0.2], P < .001), higher emotional well-being (β [SE] = 2.2 [0.4], P < .001), and higher spiritual well-being (β [SE] = 5.4 [0.7], P < .001). Illness acceptance did not moderate the associations of prognostic awareness with psychological and spiritual well-being. This study suggests that illness acceptance could be a key factor in improving patient well-being. Illness acceptance should be regularly assessed and interventions to enhance illness acceptance should be considered for those with poor acceptance.

Spirituality and religiosity are associated with physical and psychological status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Management strategies that incorporate spirituality and religiosity (S/R) have been associated with better health status in clinical populations. However, few data are available for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to improve the traditional disease-model treatment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the association between S/R and physical and psychological status in patients with stable COPD. This is a cross-sectional study. Religiosity, spiritual well-being and S/R Coping were measured. Physical status was evaluated with the activity of daily living, dyspnoea and the impact of the disease. Psychological status was assessed with anxiety and depression symptoms and quality of life. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated, multivariate linear regression was applied in the analyses. This study is reported following the STROBE recommendations. Seventy-two patients with stable COPD (male 58%, aged 68±9years, forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1 ) of 49.2±19.6% predicted) were included. There was no association between S/R and activity of daily living. However, higher spiritual well-being and lower Negative S/R Coping was associated with reduced dyspnoea and burden of the disease. Increased S/R and lower Negative S/R Coping was also associated with less anxiety, depression and better quality of life. Multivariate linear regression showed that S/R variables explained the physical and psychological health status in people with stable COPD. Higher spirituality and less negative S/R Coping are associated with reduced dyspnoea, the burden of the disease, anxiety and depression symptoms, and better quality of life in patients with stable COPD. Understanding how religiosity and spirituality are associated with physical and psychological features in patients with COPD may contribute to the long-term management of this patient population.

The relationships between fear of cancer recurrence, spiritual well-being and psychological resilience in non-metastatic breast cancer survivors during the COVID-19 outbreak.

ObjectivesThis study examines the relationships between fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), spiritual well‐being (SWB) and psychological resilience in breast cancer survivors during the COVID‐19 outbreak, and investigates to what extent breast cancer survivors’ sociodemographic characteristics affect FCR, SWB and psychological resilience levels.MethodsThe study was conducted at Canakkale University Hospital in Turkey. Included in the study were 82 non‐metastatic breast cancer patients whose clinical outcomes were followed‐up after primary treatment, but suspended due to the COVID‐19 outbreak. FCR, SWB and psychological resilience were assessed using the FCR inventory‐short form (FCRI‐SF), SWB scale and the brief resilience scale (BRS), respectively.ResultsThe mean scores of breast cancer survivors concerning FCR, SWB, and psychological resilience were 17.77 ± 5.38, 36.20 ± 6.21 and 20.01 ± 4.51, respectively. A significant negative correlation was noted between the scores of FCR and SWB and psychological resilience (r = −0.329, p < 0.001 and r = −0.316, p = 0.004, respectively). Additionally, a significantly positive correlation was identified between psychological resilience and SWB (r = 0.501, p = 0.003). A hierarchical linear regression analysis with FCRI‐SF as the dependent variable, and SWB and BRS as explanatory variables, indicated that SWB affects FCRI‐SF scores and is a potential predictor of FCR. A mediation analysis revealed that SWB partially mediated the relationship between psychological resilience and FCR.ConclusionBreast cancer survivors with high SWB and psychological resilience scores experience less FCR, despite their failure to maintain the medical follow‐up due to the COVID‐19 outbreak. Efforts should be made to increase the psychological resilience and SWB of patients diagnosed with breast cancer.

Using digital technology to evaluate heart coherence in craniosacral therapy as an indicator of spiritual leadership

IntroductionThere is no evidence supporting the importance of heart coherence in spiritual leadership (which describes a transformation process increasing adaptability). The study aimed to evaluate heart coherence in students studying craniosacral therapy. Heart coherence was used as an indicator of spiritual leadership and was determined by an Inner Life and Coherent Interaction between its variables. Heart coherence denotes the degree of order, harmony and stability in the numerous physiological rhythms within the human body. MethodsA multilevel, quantitative, within-subjects, experimental research design was used in a convenience sample of 11 cranosacral therapy students. Students had different levels of experience, low (group 1) and high (group 2) . Spiritual leadership was measured using a questionnaire, while a heart sensor captured its coherence. ResultsGroup 2 exhibited higher Spiritual Leadership (+18%) and higher outcomes for Spiritual Well-Being (+9%), with similar scores for Coherent Interaction. At the personal level, participants from the same group had higher Spiritual Leadership (+31%), higher Coherent Interaction (+14%), and higher Spiritual Well-Being (+11%). Individual Inner Life was 5% higher for Group 1 participants. A repeated measure ANOVA on the pre and post means did not produce any significant difference in heart coherence for both groups. ConclusionFindings support the hypothesis that Inner Life and Coherent Interaction can be usefully deployed to evaluate the emergence of Spiritual Well-being. The study could not provide evidence that heart coherence could be considered as an indicator of spiritual leadership, but results indicated a measurable variation and synchronization of heart coherence among participants during a craniosacral therapy session.

Correlation between Spiritual Well-Being and Level of Fatigue among Patients Suffering from Breast Cancer

Cancer-related fatigue has been shown to be a signifcant side effect that influences a person’s wellbeing, duringtreatment, and after treatment. It is recorded that cancer patients have also been shown experiencing spiritualdistress. The study aims to determine the connection between spiritual well-being and cancer-related fatigueamong patients suffering from breast cancer during chemotherapy treatment. 112 patients who were undergoingchemotherapy treatment were recruited in this study using a correlational design. The instruments used inassessing spiritual well-being and fatigue are Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Spirituality(FACIT-Sp) and FACIT-Fatigue Scales. Data were analyzed using the Spearman Correlation analysis. Meanspiritual well-being score was 35.91 (SD = 6.89), and the mean fatigue score was 33.04 (SD = 9.58). Therewere a moderate and signifcant correlation between fatigue scores and spiritual well-being (r = .364, p &lt; 0.001).Breast cancer patients who had higher spiritual well-being that means they would alleviate fatigue symptoms.Therefore, nurses should consider that increasing spiritual well-being would reduce fatigue and vice versa.

How Resiliency and Hope Can Predict Stress of Covid-19 by Mediating Role of Spiritual Well-being Based on Machine Learning.

Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are playing a tremendous role in all aspects of human life and they have the remarkable potential to solve many problems that classic sciences are unable to solve appropriately. Neuroscience and especially psychiatry is one of the most important fields that can use the potential of AI and ML. This study aims to develop an ML-based model to detect the relationship between resiliency and hope with the stress of COVID-19 by mediating the role of spiritual well-being. An online survey is conducted to assess the psychological responses of Iranian people during the Covid-19 outbreak in the period between March 15 and May 20, 2020, in Iran. The Iranian public was encouraged to take part in an online survey promoted by Internet ads, e-mails, forums, social networks, and short message service (SMS) programs. As a whole, 755 people participated in this study. Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, The Resilience Scale, The Adult Hope Scale, Paloutzian & Ellison’s Spiritual Wellbeing Scale, and Stress of Covid-19 Scale were used to gather data. The findings showed that spiritual well-being itself cannot predict stress of Covid-19 alone, and in fact, someone who has high spiritual well-being does not necessarily have a small amount of stress, and this variable, along with hope and resiliency, can be a good predictor of stress. Our extensive research indicated that traditional analytical and statistical methods are unable to correctly predict related Covid-19 outbreak factors, especially stress when benchmarked with our proposed ML-based model which can accurately capture the nonlinear relationships between the collected data variables.

Boosting Resilience through Spiritual Well-being: COVID-19 Example

Spiritual well-being is the affirmation of one’s life in a relation to external world, one’s ownself and a transcendental power like God. It reflects positive feelings, attitudes, and perceptions leading to a sense of identity, wholeness, peace, harmony, and purpose in life. In this study, it is predicted that individuals with high spiritual well-being will be more spiritually resistant during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is one of the most noteworthy periods when people need to be psychologically strong and resilient. In this study, resilience has been defined as the individual endurance against difficulties and the ability to bounce back and even get better. Hence we hypothesized that spiritual well-being of individuals will be effective on their resilience. We conducted our study in Turkey among adults older than 20 years old. We obtained 384 usable data and we analysed our date by using SPSS 20.0 program. Results confirmed the assumption of this study, regarding spiritual well-being/ resilience relationship.

Associations of religiosity and spiritual well-being with appearance concerns after head and neck cancer surgery.

To investigate whether religiosity and spiritual well-being are associated with appearance concerns among people with visible sequelae due to cancer surgery in the head and neck region. A cross-sectional study was carried in 202 adult patients in a referral hospital for cancer treatment in Midwest Brazil. Data on sociodemographic, psychosocial and clinical aspects and cancer-related behaviours were collected through interviews, clinical examination and medical records. The outcome was the patients' appearance concerns (Derriford Appearance Scale-DAS24). The independent explanatory variables were religiosity (Duke University Religiousness Index-DUREL) and spiritual well-being (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale-FACIT-Sp12). Data were analysed using Pearson's chi-square and Poisson regression. Most of the participants were male (76.2%), and mean age was 58.6years (SD=11.6). The scores of appearance concerns (DAS24) ranged from 21 to 75 (median=33.0). In the bivariate analysis, appearance concerns were associated with spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp12), degree of disfigurement and treatment with radiotherapy/chemotherapy. Religiosity (DUREL) was not associated with the outcome. In the adjusted regression model, a lower prevalence of appearance concerns was found among patients with higher levels of spiritual well-being (PR=0.86; CI=0.79-0.94), males (PR=0.87; CI=0.79-0.95), those with lower degrees of disfigurement (PR=0.89; CI=0.82-0.98) and those who had no treatment with radiotherapy/chemotherapy (PR=0.83; CI=0.72-0.94). High spiritual well-being was independently associated with lower levels of appearance concerns in people with visible sequelae due to cancer surgery in the head and neck region. Understanding the role of this psychosocial determinant may help in the coping process.

Plurality in Muhammadiyah/Aisyiyah College and Fulfillment of Spiritual Well-Being for Non-Muslim Students

Muhammadiyah / Aisyiyah College (PTMA) is a college that accepts students from various backgrounds, both Muslim and Non-Muslim (Catholic, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist). So it has an obligation to provide religious lessons for all students, both Muslims and Non-Muslims. In practice all students must take the Al-Islam and Kemuhammadiyahan (AIK) Courses. Non-Muslim students are also required to take AIK courses. Whereas Law Number 20 Year 2003 Article 12 Paragraph 1a explicitly states that education units have an obligation to provide religious subjects in accordance with the religion of the students. the same religion, In the implementation there are indeed problems in the practice of giving religious courses to non-Muslim students. Though students who have spiritual well-being or high spiritual well-being tend to have good spiritual. Giving religious subjects is one way to improve spiritual well-being.

Perspectiva espiritual del personal de enfermería de las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos en un hospital de segundo nivel.

Introducción: La espiritualidad es entendida como un sistema de guía interno básico para el bienestar humano que influye en la vida, la conducta y la salud, no importando las creencias o las prácticas religiosas de la persona. Objetivo: Conocer la perspectiva espiritual que tiene el personal de enfermería en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) en un hospital de segundo nivel. Material y método: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, prospectivo, de corte transversal. Muestra conformada por 82 enfermeras de los turnos matutino, vespertino y nocturno de las UCI. Se utilizó la Escala de Perspectiva Espiritual. Resultados: Los niveles de bienestar espiritual que presento el personal en estudio fue: Un nivel alto. En el turno matutino predomino el nivel alto (36,4%) y moderado (36,4%), el vespertino con un nivel moderado (50%) y en los turnos nocturnos A y B nivel alto con 40,7% y 57,9% respectivamente. Conclusiones: La espiritualidad es un elemento que los profesionales de enfermería necesitan no solo para cuidar de sí mismos, sino para cuidar del otro. Al contar con personal de enfermería dentro de las UCI con bienestar espiritual alto, se tienen profesionales mayormente comprometidos con su trabajo, un mejor ambiente laboral y una mejor atención hacia los pacientes.

An Investigation on the Relationship Between Self-efficacy With Spiritual Adjustment and Life Expectancy in Adult Earthquake Residents in Sarpol-e Zahab City, Iran in 2019

Background: Earthquakes are among the most natural catastrophic disasters. Adults’ response to disasters largely depends on their physical health, mobility, self-efficacy, resource, and income level. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between self-efficacy with spiritual adjustment and life expectancy in earthquake-stricken adults living in Sarpol-e Zahab City, Iran. Materials and Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study that was done on 135 earthquake-stricken adults in Sarpol-e Zahab City. The study data were collected using the Scherer general self-efficacy questionnaire, Herth’s life expectancy questionnaire, spiritual adjustment, and demographic data in Spring 1998. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS version 24 and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In this study, 135 adults were enrolled, 65.2% were men and the rest were women. The Mean±SD age of the samples was 41.64±11.49 years. The Mean±SD values of self-efficacy, spiritual adjustment, and life expectancy were 55.64±10.29, 150.47±35.17, and 28.44±5.75, respectively. There was a significant and positive correlation between self-efficacy and spiritual adjustment. There was a positive and significant relationship between self-efficacy and life expectancy as well as life expectancy and spiritual adjustment. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed a high correlation between self-efficacy, life expectancy, and spiritual adjustment. People with high spiritual well-being and life expectancy are more adaptable to their problems; accordingly, their reinforcement of spiritual well-being and life expectancy increases their adaptability to the situation. Therefore, it is recommended that educational programs be developed to increase the self-efficacy of earthquake-affected individuals and increase their life expectancy and spiritual well-being.

Relationship between symptom burden, medication adherence and spiritual well-being in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

To investigate the relationship between symptom burden, medication adherence and spiritual well-being in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The relationship between spirituality and medication adherence has been investigated in different chronic conditions. However, the relationship between symptom burden, medication adherence and spiritual well-being in patients with COPD has not been explored. A descriptive correlational study design was adopted. A total of 112 patients with COPD were included in the study. Data were collected using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale-7 (ARMS-7) and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp). The data were analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Checklist was used. The CAT score was significantly higher in patients on long-term oxygen therapy and those who had more than three comorbid conditions (p<.05). The mean score of ARMS-7 was significantly associated with age (p<.05). Current smokers had higher ARMS-7 and lower FACIT-Sp scores (p<.001). The FACIT-Sp score was negatively and moderately associated with the CAT and ARMS-7 scores (p<.001). This study concluded that individuals with higher spiritual well-being had lower symptom burden and higher medication adherence. The need for long-term oxygen therapy and a high number of comorbid conditions were associated with increased symptom burden. Current smokers had lower spiritual well-being and medication adherence. Spiritual well-being should be evaluated when assessing symptom burden and medication adherence in clinical practice. In addition, further studies examining the causal relationship between symptom burden, spiritual well-being and medication adherence in different populations are warranted.

Comparing relationship between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among women with breast and cervical cancers and women with gastric and colorectal cancers.

BACKGROUND:Death anxiety is one of the most common problems among women with cancer, which can affect the useful treatment process. With regard to the superior role of spiritual well-being over other aspects of health, the present study is aimed to compare the relationship between spiritual well-being and death anxiety among women with breast and cervical cancers and women with gastric and colorectal cancers.METHODOLOGY:This was a descriptive–correlational study. Research statistical population included Iranian women with cancer at major hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. 160 research samples were selected through convenience sampling method based on inclusion criteria using a demographic questionnaire, spiritual well-being scale (Paloutzian et al.) and death anxiety scale (Templer). Research data were analyzed through SPSS 22 using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and analysis of variance at significance level 0.05.RESULTS:The study findings indicated a significant inverse relationship between death anxiety and spiritual well-being (at 0.05) in both groups. As a result, people with higher spiritual well-being would experience less anxiety about death. In addition, the relationship between death anxiety and spiritual well-being in women with gastric and colorectal cancers was stronger than those with breast and cervical cancers.CONCLUSION:Spiritual well-being is of effective factors of death anxiety among women suffering from cancer. Spirituality and meeting spiritual needs are considered as nursing care priorities for these women. Furthermore, paying attention to the spirituality by nurses may shield against individual difficulties.

Spirituality in coping with pain in oncological patients: systematic review

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between spirituality and cancer coping is still a challenge for comprehensive health care. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze whether the level of spirituality directly interferes with clinical markers, such as pain intensity in people with cancer. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between spirituality and pain coping and the strategies used in adult cancer patients. CONTENTS: This is a systematic review, registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews: CRD42018108835. The search was performed in Pubmed, Medline, LILACS, Scielo, and ScienceDirect databases until May 2019, available in all languages. The search strategy was defined for the PubMed database as a parameter: (neoplasms or cancer) AND (spirituality) AND (pain). Adults patients with cancer of both genders who faced pain were studied. Studies that did not address the pain associated with spirituality were excluded. Of the 588 studies found, 13 were eligible. Among these, nine studies showed that spirituality contributes to positive pain coping. Regarding the level of spirituality, higher spiritual well-being was associated with lower pain intensity in three studies. The spiritual strategies used were mindfulness, meditation, relaxation, prayer, support from religious leaders and members. CONCLUSION: Despite the few studies found, the findings broaden the knowledge about the positive relationship between spirituality and pain coping and underline the spiritual strategies for the management of this health condition in cancer patients.

Caregiver Burden and Spiritual Well-being in Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients.

The number of hemodialysis patients is increasing worldwide, and the caregivers of these patients experience a great burden. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between caregiver burden and spiritual well-being in caregivers of hemodialysis patients in Kerman, Iran. This correlational study was conducted on 382 caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Inventory (24 items) and Ellison and Paloutzian 20-Item Spiritual Well-being Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics (t test, ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and linear regression analysis) in SPSS 20 software. The findings showed that 45 (11.8%) caregivers had mild, 214 (56%) moderate, and 123 (32.2%) high caregiver burden. Furthermore, 1 (0.3%) caregiver had mild, 349 (92.4%) moderate, and 32 (8.4%) high spiritual well-being. Also, Spearman correlation test showed a significant reveres relationship between caregiver burden and spiritual well-being scores (p < 0.001, r = - 0.41). Moreover, the results of the regression analysis showed that the patient's income, frequency of patient dialysis per week, and patient's need to receive care and spiritual well-being were predictors of caregiver burden, which explained 41% of the burden in caregivers. The results of this study revealed that spiritual well-being was negatively related to caregiver burden and was one of its predictors. Therefore, spirituality can be used as a low-cost and effective intervention to reduce the caregiver's burden.

Is It Possible to Determine the Level of Spiritual Well-Being by Measuring Heart Rate Variability During the Reading of Heavenly Books?

A previous study stated that reading holy books can make a meaningful change in heart rate variability (HRV). The purpose of this study was to test the effect of reading the Quran, the heavenly religious book of the Muslim people in the Arabic language, on the Farsi (Persian)-speaking Muslims with various levels of spiritual well-being (SWB). In addition, novel to this study was the assessment of whether or not it is possible to use HRV features to distinguish individuals with high SWB from those with medium SWB. First, a questionnaire was completed by 31 volunteers to measure their SWB. Baseline ECG measurements were recorded during the resting stage. The volunteers were then asked to read the Quran for 5 min while ECG was recorded again. HRV indexes were calculated and four features were extracted and analyzed based on their correlation with the different levels of SWB. Independent t-tests were conducted and the results established a significant difference in these four features between high SWB and medium SWB groups, during the reading stage. Subsequently, with the use of these four HRV features, an artificial neural network and a decision tree were designed to classify the levels of SWB in volunteers. The outcome of this study demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate the level of SWB in individuals while they are reading the Quran.

Spiritual Well-Being Of Health Failure Patients

Introduction: Decreasing heart function raises problems both physical, psychological and spiritual. Patients faced this health issue, and they need an individual’s spirit and encouragement related to self- management and illness. The purpose of this study was to describe the spiritual well-being of heart failure patients. Method: The method used in the research was a quantitative descriptive method with a cross-sectional approach. The population in this research was all patients with heart failure who underwent inpatient and outpatient care. Samples were taken by consecutive sampling technique for one month and 61 respondents were obtained. Data were collected by using the Spirituality Index of Well-Being instruments. Univariate data analysis uses the mean values and frequency distribution. Result: The result showed that patients with heart failure who had high spiritual well-being were 53 people (86,9%). In life scheme sub-variable, 55 people (90,2%) were included in the high category. In self-efficacy sub-variable, 48 people (78,7%) were included in high category but 13 people (21,3%) were into the low category with a low mean score of 3 statements. Conclusion: almost all respondents have high spiritual well-being reinforced by life scheme but there is a part of self-efficacy that still needs to be improved such as the knowledge about how to overcome the burden of life, the ability to help themselves, and the understanding related to the disease. Therefore, it is important to give information related to the patient’s illness to improve the patients’ spiritual well-being which can affect the health condition of the patient. In addition, physical, psychological and social management also have an important role in improving self-efficacy.

Exploring the associations between spiritual well-being, burden, and quality of life in family caregivers of cancer patients.

The spiritual dimension is important in the process of coping with stress and may be of special relevance for those caring for cancer patients in the various phases of caregivership, although current attention is most prevalent at the end of life. This study explores the associations among spiritual well-being (SWB), caregiver burden, and quality of life (QoL) in family caregivers of patients with cancer during the course of the disease. This is a cross-sectional study. All participants (n = 199) underwent the following self-report questionnaires: the SWB-Index, the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form, and the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI). SWB scores were dichotomized at a cutoff corresponding to the 75th percentile. Statistical analyses were made using the Student t or by chi-square test to compare high and low SWB groups.ResultThe high SWB group reported significantly better Medical Outcomes Study Short Form scores in bodily pain (p = 0.035), vitality (p &lt; 0.001), social activities (p = 0.001), mental health (p &lt; 0.001), and in standardized mental component subscales (p &lt; 0.001) than the low SWB group. No significant differences were detected between the two SWB groups in physical activity, physical role, general health, emotional status, and standardized physical component scale. The high SWB group also had better CBI scores in the physical (p = 0.049) and developmental burden (p = 0.053) subscales. There were no significant differences in the other CBI scores (overall and sections).Significance of resultsThis study points out that high SWB caregivers have a more positive QoL and burden. Knowledge of these associations calls for more attention on the part of healthcare professionals toward spiritual resources among family cancer caregivers from the moment of diagnosis and across the entire cancer trajectory.

Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions of spirituality, spiritual care, and spiritual care competency: A prospective, longitudinal, correlational European study

BackgroundNurses and midwives care for people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, so it is essential that they have the skills to give care which is compassionate, dignified, holistic and person-centred. Holistic care includes spiritual care which is concerned with helping people whose beliefs, values and sense of meaning, purpose and connection is challenged by birth, illness or death. Spiritual care is expected of nurses/midwives but they feel least prepared for this part of their role. How nursing and midwifery students can be prepared for spiritual care is the focus of this study. Objectives1. To describe undergraduate nursing and midwifery student's perceptions of spirituality/spiritual care, their perceived competence in giving spiritual care and how these perceptions change over time. 2. To explore factors contributing to development of spiritual care competency. MethodsProspective, longitudinal, multinational, correlational survey design. A convenience sample of 2193 undergraduate nursing and midwifery students (69% response rate, dropping to 33%) enrolled at 21 universities in eight countries completed questionnaires capturing demographic data (purpose designed questionnaire) and measuring perception of spirituality/spiritual care (SSCRS), spiritual care competency (SCCS), spiritual wellbeing (JAREL) and spiritual attitude and involvement (SAIL) on 4 occasions (start of course n = 2193, year 2 n = 1182, year 3 n = 736, end of course n = 595) between 2011 and 2015. Data were analysed using descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses as appropriate. ResultsPerceived competency increased significantly over the course of students' study which they attributed to caring for patients, events in their own lives and teaching/discussion in university. Two factors were significantly correlated with perceived spiritual care competency: perception of spirituality/spiritual care, where a broad view was preferable, and personal spirituality, where high spiritual wellbeing (JAREL) and spiritual attitude and involvement (SAIL) scores were preferable. ConclusionsWe have provided the first international evidence that perceived spiritual care competence is developed in undergraduate nursing and midwifery students and that students' perceptions of spirituality and personal spirituality contribute to that development. Implications for teaching and learning and student selection are discussed. The study is limited by attrition which is common in longitudinal research.

Validation of the Persian Version of Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaires.

Spiritual well-being is an important issue in health sciences, hence the need for validated instruments to assess this aspect of health in the Iranian population. The aim of the current study was to determine the validity of the Persian versions of 2 most common measures of spiritual health (Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire [SWBQ] or Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure [SHALOM] and Spiritual Well-Being Scale [SWBS]). This was a cross-sectional study via a convenience sampling method in Iran University of Medical Sciences with 170 participants aged above 18 years comprising students, teachers, and administrative staff and managers. The study was conducted from September 7, 2014 to September 20, 2015 in Tehran. Four questionnaires, namely the SWBQ, SWBS, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), were used. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18 and LISREL (version 8.2). Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient, Pearson correlation, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha for the SWBQ and the SWBS was greater than 0.85. The repeatability of both questionnaires was between 0.88 and 0.98. The Pearson correlation for the SWBQ and the SWBS ranged from 0.33 to 0.53; and all the correlations were significant. The respondents who indicated a higher spiritual well-being also reported better general health and happiness. The Persian versions of the SWBS and the SWBQ have good reliability, repeatability, and validity to assess spiritual health in the Iranian population.