Choumanova Ivanka, Wanat Stan, Barrett Ronald, Koopman Cheryl
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5718, USA.
Breast J. 2006 Jul-Aug;12(4):349-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1075-122X.2006.00274.x.
This study examined the roles of religion and spirituality in relation to coping with breast cancer in Chilean women. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to examine how these patients used religion and spirituality to cope with their illness; how their illness changed the roles of religion and spirituality in their lives; and their views regarding whether, and if so how, spiritual faith can help patients recuperate from breast cancer. Twenty-seven women with breast cancer who were patients at a clinic in Santiago, Chile were recruited to participate in one-on-one interviews. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using the "constant comparative method" to seek patterns and organize the content into specific themes. Women viewed religion and spirituality as primary resources for themselves and others to use in coping with breast cancer. Women's use of religion and spirituality was manifested in praying, in their perceived dependence on God to intercede and guide them through their illness, and in obtaining social support from other persons in their faith community. Half (13/26) of the women reported that their cancer prompted an increased emphasis on religion and spirituality in their lives by deepening their faith in God. Almost all (26/27) participants endorsed the belief that spiritual faith can help cancer patients to recuperate. These findings suggest that health care providers working should be aware of the culturally dependent roles that religion and spirituality play in women's coping with breast cancer.
本研究探讨了宗教和精神信仰在智利女性应对乳腺癌过程中的作用。具体而言，该研究的目的是考察这些患者如何利用宗教和精神信仰来应对疾病；疾病如何改变宗教和精神信仰在她们生活中的作用；以及她们对于精神信仰是否能帮助患者从乳腺癌中康复（若能，又是如何帮助康复）的看法。招募了智利圣地亚哥一家诊所的27名乳腺癌女性患者参与一对一访谈。对转录的访谈内容采用“持续比较法”进行分析，以寻找模式并将内容组织成特定主题。女性将宗教和精神信仰视为自己及他人应对乳腺癌的主要资源。女性对宗教和精神信仰的运用体现在祈祷中，体现在她们认为依赖上帝代为求情并在患病期间引导她们，以及体现在从其宗教团体中的其他人那里获得社会支持。一半（13/26）的女性报告称，她们的癌症通过加深对上帝的信仰促使她们在生活中更加重视宗教和精神信仰。几乎所有（26/27）参与者都认同精神信仰有助于癌症患者康复这一信念。这些发现表明，在职的医疗保健提供者应意识到宗教和精神信仰在女性应对乳腺癌过程中所起的文化依赖作用。
