López-Sierra Héctor E, Rodríguez-Sánchez Jesús
aSocial Sciences and Liberal Arts Department bSchool of Theology, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA.
Curr Opin Support Palliat Care. 2015 Mar;9(1):87-95. doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000119.
This is a literature review of the supportive roles of religion and spirituality (R/S) in end-of-life (EoL) and palliative care of patients with cancer in a culturally diverse context. This review examines 26 noteworthy articles published between August 2013 and August 2014 from five well supported databases.
Current evidence shows that R/S evokes in patients the sources to find the necessary inner strengths, which includes perspective thinking, rituals for transcending immediate physical condition and modalities of coping with their oncological illnesses. R/S are not a monolithically experience for they always manifest themselves in diverse cultural settings. As such, R/S provide the individual and their families with a practical context and social memory, which includes traditions and social family practices for maintaining meaning and well-being. Nonetheless, although various dimensions of R/S show a link between cancer risk factors and well being in cancer patients, more specific dimensions of R/S need to be studied taking into account the individuals' particular religious and cultural contexts, so that R/S variables within that context can provide a greater integrative structure for understanding and to move the field forward.
Behavioral, cognitive and psychosocial scientists have taken a more in-depth look at the claims made in the past, suggesting that a relationship between R/S, cultural diversity and health exists. Case in point are the studies on EoL care, which have progressively considered the role of cultural, religion and spiritual diversity in the care of patients with oncological terminal illnesses. Beyond these facts, this review also shows that EoL supportive and palliative care providers could further enhance their practical interventions by being sensitive and supportive of cultural diversity.
本文是一篇文献综述，探讨了在文化多元背景下宗教与灵性（R/S）在癌症患者临终关怀及姑息治疗中的支持作用。本综述检索了2013年8月至2014年8月期间从五个权威数据库中发表的26篇值得关注的文章。
现有证据表明，宗教与灵性能唤起患者内心寻找所需力量的源泉，包括前瞻性思维、超越当前身体状况的仪式以及应对肿瘤疾病的方式。宗教与灵性并非单一的体验，因为它们在不同文化背景中有着不同的表现形式。因此，宗教与灵性为个人及其家庭提供了一个实际的背景和社会记忆，其中包括维持意义和幸福的传统及社会家庭实践。尽管如此，虽然宗教与灵性的各个维度显示出癌症风险因素与癌症患者幸福感之间存在联系，但仍需考虑个体特定的宗教和文化背景，进一步研究宗教与灵性更具体的维度，以便在该背景下的宗教与灵性变量能为理解提供更完善的整体架构，推动该领域向前发展。
行为、认知和社会心理科学家对过去的观点进行了更深入的研究，表明宗教与灵性、文化多样性和健康之间存在关联。临终关怀研究就是一个例证，这些研究逐渐认识到文化、宗教和灵性多样性在肿瘤终末期疾病患者护理中的作用。除此之外，本综述还表明，临终关怀和姑息治疗提供者可以通过对文化多样性保持敏感并给予支持，进一步加强其实践干预措施。
