Determining the impact of spiritual care on depression in cancerpatients (a quasi-experimental study)

Background & Aims: Cancer patients face various biopsychosocial problems, and stress and clinical depression are the most common mental disorders among them. Patients are constantly seeking for interventions, including spiritual interventions. This study aims to determine the effect of spiritual care on depression in cancer patients.Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental, two-group, two-stage study with a pretest-posttest design. Sixty cancer patients referred to the Palliative Care Center were divided into two intervention and comparison groups. The general health questionnaire was completed before and after spiritual care in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS ۱۸ software, by descriptive and inferential statistical methods.Results: The results demonstrated that the mean pre-test scores of the groups were not statistically significant. Also, the mean post-test scores of the comparison group are significantly higher than the intervention group.Conclusion: It can be concluded that providing spiritual care in cancer patients is effective in reducing and improving the depression symptoms, it also will improve patientsʼ health status, and nurses can exploit the spiritual care program to improve these patientsʼ health.

Keywords:

Spiritual care , Cancer , Depression , General health , Nursing care