Spirituality and emotional coping in oncological treatment

Abstract

Spirituality has been a widely studied topic in the health field, especially in the context of chronic diseases such as cancer. In cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, spirituality can play a significant role in coping with the disease, alleviating suffering and providing a source of comfort and hope. Although cancer is a disease marked by physical and emotional challenges, the ability to deal with these challenges can be influenced by subjective and spiritual aspects. In this sense, spirituality emerges as a relevant dimension in promoting patient well-being. The study included two moments to process the collected data, since two methodological approaches were adopted, quantitative and qualitative, which required different analyses. The following subitems present the configuration of the two moments dedicated to processing the collected data. After data collection at the CON units (Barra da Tijuca and Botafogo) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the variables were stored in an electronic spreadsheet in Excel software as a database, consisting of the questionnaires: sociodemographic and HADS Scale. To perform the statistical analyses, R software version 4.2.1 (R Foundation, Vienna, Austria) was used, with a statistical significance of 5% in the Fisher's Exact Association Test. In the descriptive analysis, the sample characteristics were presented through tables and described with absolute numbers (n) and percentages (%), with the quantitative variables measured by mean and standard deviation (SD). The dependent variable of the study was whether or not to profess some spirituality/religion, and this variable was used to test the hypotheses that depression has a positive relationship with depression, as well as to test whether depression and anxiety are associated with the fact that the patient professes some proximity to spirituality/religion. In conclusion, spirituality and faith play significant roles in coping with chemotherapy and in the management of anxiety and depression among cancer patients. Although the incidence of depression does not vary substantially between the groups with and without spirituality, the presence of spiritual and religious practices is associated with greater resilience and a more comfortable and welcoming approach to treatment.

Keywords: Anxiety; Well-being; Spirituality; Depression; Chemotherapy