Spiritual needs, practices and associated factors among patients with cancer at two teaching hospitals

Patients diagnosed with cancer require holistic care that covers the physical, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of wellbeing.

To describe the spiritual needs, practices, association between spirituality, using Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs), ancestral belief, with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and examine the association between spiritual interventions and spiritual characteristics.

Palliative Care units at two tertiary hospitals in Johannesburg.

An observational retrospective study used routinely collected data of patients older than 18 years, diagnosed with cancer, having complete records on spiritual questions, and enrolled between January 2021 and December 2023. Data were analysed using STATA V18.

Most participants (n = 2465) were female (70.5%), with a mean age of 53.6 (s.d.: 22.7). Half were unemployed, 40.1% married/partnered, and 54.4% living with HIV. Many participants were religious (94.1%) and spiritual (96.3%), Christian (84.3%), 11.3% consulted a TPHs, and 20.0% had ancestral beliefs. Most (94.7%) relied on their faith for comfort, their faith grew stronger (84.9%,) and 79.7% needed forgiveness. Receiving spiritual interventions was associated with the need for forgiveness, relying on faith for comfort and receiving support from the faith community.

The study confirms that patients with cancer are spiritual and religious; some have ancestral beliefs, need forgiveness, and rely on their faith and faith communities to cope. The study further highlights the need for culturally relevant tools and interventions to address these needs.Contribution: The article highlights the unique spiritual beliefs and practices among patients with cancer that may influence planning for palliative care and cancer programmes.