The Mediating Role of Spiritual Experiences With Ego Strength on Adaptation to Dialysis

In the care and treatment of patients in need of dialysis, spiritual experiences as a method of problem-solving in crises and problems can facilitate adaptation to dialysis. This study investigated the mediating role of spiritual experiences with ego strength on the adaptation to dialysis.

The statistical population included all patients in need of dialysis referred to the Educational-Research Center of Abu Ali Sina Hospital in Shiraz City, Iran, in 2019. Out of them, 120 patients were selected by a convenience sampling method. The study data were collected through the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES), ego strength, and adaptation to disease. Then, the obtained data were analyzed based on structural equations in Amos v. 21 software.

The findings showed that ego strength is significant with spiritual experiences and adaptation to dialysis. But the relationship between spiritual experiences and adaptation to dialysis is not significant. Also, the direct and indirect effects of the variables showed that ego strength as a predictor variable and spiritual experiences as a mediating variable could predict adaptation to dialysis (P<0.01). But the ego strength through spiritual experiences cannot predict adaptation to dialysis.

According to the research findings, ego strength can predict disease adaptation in dialysis patients, but daily spiritual experiences cannot lead to disease adaptation in dialysis patients.