Spirituality in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection: A Qualitative Study

History and Hepatitis B is the most prevalent viral infection in human and is followed by several physical, mental and social complications. Spiritual beliefs are effective in having a purposeful life and managing chronic diseases. This study aims at understanding and demonstrating the experiences of patients with hepatitis B in terms of spirituality and spiritual values in life. The present study uses qualitative content analysis as its research method. A number of 18 patients with hepatitis B are selected purposefully. In-depth and unstructured interviews are used for data collection. The interviews are recorded, scripted word by word and are analyzed using qualitative content analysis approach. Findings: By investigating the interviews and analyzing the data, "spirituality" emerged as the main theme along with four sub-themes including "illness as the divine destiny", "closeness to God", "awakeness of conscience" and "growth and prosperity". The results of the present study indicate the importance of spiritual experiences of patients with hepatitis B and that considering spirituality in life can be an effective help to accept the disease and a proper backing in order to improve physical, mental and social health. Consequently, it is recommended that in providing healthcare services, managers and the personnel pay a special attention to patient's spiritual experiences and include them in routine care program.