Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Invited Adjunct Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Beja, Portugal.
Int J Nurs Knowl. 2024 Jul;35(3):272-280. doi: 10.1111/2047-3095.12442. Epub 2023 Aug 27.
To determine the trajectories of spiritual distress and religious involvement among cancer patients during chemotherapy.
A prospective longitudinal study was conducted over 15 months with quarterly data collection, in a total of with five cut points. Data collection was applied a questionnaire that embraced sociodemographic characteristics, clinical profile, Spiritual Distress Scale, and Belief into Action Scale. Regarding, data analysis was performed univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics, and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee.
From the 322 cancer patients at the beginning, the attrition rate was 17.5% in the last time point. Most of participants were women (56.6%), with an average age of 60.3 years, and had a religious affiliation (93.7%). Statistically significant values were found of spiritual distress and religious involvement across the five cuts. At the end of 3 months after starting chemotherapy, the highest value of spiritual distress and the lowest value of religious involvement were reached.
Cancer patients who are submitted to chemotherapy, after 3 months of treatment experience the peak of spiritual distress and the lowest value of religious involvement. This critical period for nurses' is required a massive approach regarding spiritual and religious needs.
Therefore, knowing the trajectories of spiritual distress and religious involvement during a certain period allows for the anticipating of planning of nursing therapeutic interventions in order to promote spiritual health and spiritual well-being outcomes in cancer patients.
确定癌症患者在化疗期间精神困扰和宗教参与的轨迹。
进行了一项为期 15 个月的前瞻性纵向研究，每季度进行一次数据收集，共进行了五次。数据收集应用了一个问卷，包括社会人口统计学特征、临床特征、精神困扰量表和信仰行动量表。关于数据分析，进行了单变量、双变量和多变量统计，该研究得到了伦理委员会的批准。
从最初的 322 名癌症患者中，最后一次出现了 17.5%的流失率。大多数参与者为女性（56.6%），平均年龄为 60.3 岁，有宗教信仰（93.7%）。在五个时间点上，精神困扰和宗教参与都存在显著的统计学差异。在开始化疗后 3 个月，精神困扰达到最高值，宗教参与达到最低值。
接受化疗的癌症患者在治疗 3 个月后经历了精神困扰的高峰期和宗教参与的最低值。这个时期需要护士对患者的精神和宗教需求进行全面的关注。
因此，了解特定时期内精神困扰和宗教参与的轨迹，可以预测规划护理治疗干预措施，以促进癌症患者的精神健康和精神幸福感。
