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Published on: January 18, 2018
Relationship between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential wellbeing among cancer patients: a correlational
Somyeh Beygi1, Tahereh Ramazani1, Batool Tirgari1
1Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Purpose:
Cancer profoundly affects patients' physical and psychological well-being, yet spiritual pain remains underexplored within supportive oncology care. This study examined relationships between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential well-being among Iranian cancer patients.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational design, 147 cancer patients were recruited via convenience sampling from oncology settings in Iran. Participants completed the Groves and Klauser Spiritual Pain Scale, the Ellison and Paloutzian Existential Well-Being Scale, and a physical pain questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analyses in SPSS.
Results:
Over half of participants reported moderate spiritual pain; the majority had average existential well-being, and 40% reported no physical pain. Spiritual pain correlated negatively with existential well-being (r = -0.58, p < 0.001), while physical pain correlated positively with spiritual pain (r = 0.20, p = 0.01), indicating that higher physical discomfort is associated with greater spiritual distress.
Conclusions:
The findings reveal a significant interplay between spiritual pain, physical pain, and existential well-being in cancer patients, underscoring the importance of spiritual distress as part of the symptom burden. Integrating spiritual care into oncology practice may enhance supportive care beyond physical symptom management.
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