The Relationship between Contextual Factors and Spiritual Needs with Spiritual Well-being in Patients with Cancer Diseases

Exposure to cancer causes physical, psychological, and spiritual crisis. Spiritual health coordinates different aspects of human life to one another, and it is the vital aspect of human life for the adaptation to the disease. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between spiritual needs and contextual factors regarding spiritual well-being in cancer patients.

This is a descriptive correlational study. The participants were 141 patients with cancer diseases (female 76, male 65) from Sari city selected through convenience sampling. The data were collected using the spiritual well- being scale, spiritual needs scale, and contextual dimension scale.

For data analysis, stepwise regression analysis was used. Results of statistical analyses showed that there was a significant and positive correlation between scores on the components of spiritual needs and spiritual well- being. Therefore, the subscales of the spiritual needs, such as "religious needs" (P<0.001), "existentialistic needs” (P<0.001), "needs for inner peace”(P<0.001), and "actively giving needs” (P<0.001) had positive correlation with spiritual well-being. Furthermore, among all components of spiritual needs, religious needs, existentialistic needs, and actively giving needs had a stronger predictive power in family flexibility. There were also significant correlations between “behavioral "(P<0.001), "political"(P<0.001), “governmental "(P<0.001), "public health"(P<0.001), “medical "(P<0.001), and "employment"(P<0.001) dimensions of and spiritual well- being, and all these factors had the highest degree of variance in spiritual well- being.

It is concluded that religious needs and contextual dimension, as two psychological constructs, can play a significant role in creating spiritual well-being.