Spirituality and Religion on Coping with Cancer for Patients and Caregivers

Abstract

The concepts of religion and spirituality play an important role in coping with cancer. The use of religious or spiritual emotions as a means of coping with cancer disease is, of course, influenced by the individual’s beliefs, which religion they belong to, or not having a religious beliefs. This situation, in a fatal disease such as cancer, reveals positive or negative religious/ spiritual coping methods. In this process, patients and caregivers may have different positive and negative ways of coping, such as worship, strong belief in God, establishing spiritual relationships with other individuals in the same situation, and seeing the disease as a punishment. In cancer, both patients and caregivers are often in significant emotional, social, and spiritual distress. For this reason, spiritual care is considered as a fundamental element in providing the spiritual care for cancer patients and caregivers. However, most of the time only is focused on physical care, and the spiritual direction of cancer is ignored. However, the spiritual evaluation of cancer patients and caregivers by health personnel, and to be directed to different disciplines when necessary, makes it easier to coping. This review describes the role of spirituality and religion on coping with cancer for patients and caregivers.