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Existential Well-Being: Spirituality or Well-Being?
Anja Visser1, Bert Garssen, Ad Jjm Vingerhoets
1*Helen Dowling Institute, Centre for Psycho-Oncology, Bilthoven; and †Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
Existential well-being (EWB) overlaps with emotional and psychological well-being. This study differentiates EWB from spirituality, suggesting trust is well-being, while meaning is spirituality, aiding in developing purer measures.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Oncology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Spirituality measures often include existential well-being (EWB), which shows overlap with emotional and psychological well-being.
- Distinguishing between spirituality and well-being is crucial for accurate measurement and understanding their distinct roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the overlap between spirituality and well-being in cancer patients using the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL).
- To determine the divergent validity of SAIL subscales against a well-being questionnaire.
- To compare the associations of spirituality and well-being with changes in pain, fatigue, and negative life events.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL) to assess spirituality.
- Employed a well-being questionnaire to assess psychological and emotional well-being.
- Analyzed divergent validity and differential associations with clinical outcomes (pain, fatigue) and life events in cancer patients.
Main Results:
- A sense of trust in coping abilities was identified as belonging to well-being, not spirituality.
- Aspects like a sense of meaning in life were found to be more closely aligned with spirituality than well-being.
- The study established differences in how spirituality and well-being relate to pain, fatigue, and negative life events.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the differentiation of existential well-being from core spiritual aspects.
- Results aid in the development of more precise measures for spirituality and well-being.
- This research facilitates a clearer understanding of the distinct and potentially causal relationships between spirituality and well-being in cancer care.
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