How does spirituality play a role in the sense of coherence of cancer patients in supportive and palliative care settings? A review of Iranian patients’ lived experiences

Introduction: Exploring the role of the psycho-social sources in the patients with cancer's sense of coherence is significant because it is related to their quality of life. Spirituality is one of the uppermost psycho-social sources among Iranian cancer patients. So, it is important to explore the mechanism of the role of spirituality in the sense of coherence of cancer patients. Methods: This descriptive phenomenological study was conducted using a semi-structured, individual interview with three groups: patient, caregiver, and clinicians. Simultaneously, data was analyzed manually and by Dickelman method. It was saturated after an interview with ۱۷ participants. Results: Four main themes and ۱۴ sub-themes obtained: meaning (the reward of illness in another world, God's positive attention, the meaning of pain, to be effective, reduction the sense of retribution), trust (confidence, wisdom, the omniscient- the omnipotent), power (psychological strength, hope, disease minimization, loss of feeling loneliness) and tranquility (answer in existential concerns and tolerance). Conclusion: Themes help increase the patients’ sense of controllability and predictability, and thereupon, coping with an uncertain condition. It can result in more appropriate interventions for cancer patients in Iranian culture.

کلیدواژه ها:

spirituality ، sense of coherence ، lived experience ، cancer ، supportive and palliative care