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Short report
Spiritual assessment in palliative care: multicentre study
  1. Jheelam Biswas1,
  2. Wai Wai Mroy2,
  3. Nashid Islam3,
  4. Nahid Afsar4,
  5. Mastura Kashmeeri5 and
  6. Palash Chandra Banik6
  1. 1Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  2. 2Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  3. 3Bangladesh Cancer Society and Welfare Home, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  4. 4250-Bed General Hospital, Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Bangladesh
  5. 5National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  6. 6Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  1. Correspondence to Associate Professor Palash Chandra Banik; palashcbanik{at}gmail.com; Dr Jheelam Biswas; jheelam.biswas{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Objectives This study aims to provide an in-depth exploration of everyday spiritual concerns of patients with advanced cancer seeking palliative care in Bangladesh, and assess their spiritual well-being (SWB).

Methods This study was conducted among 163 patients with advanced cancer from three tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh. It was divided into two parts: a quantitative segment that assessed the SWB of the participants using the EORTC QLQ SWB32, and a qualitative segment that explored their spiritual history.

Result Spirituality was commonly interpreted and understood synonymously with religion by all participants, and their sense of life’s meaning centred on their families and friends. The lack of support from religious organisations led to feelings of isolation and disconnection from spiritual communities. Highest scores in SWB were observed in Relationships with God and Someone/Something Greater Scales. The lowest score was observed for Existential fulfilment. Patients expressed a desire for their palliative care team to address their spiritual concerns, regardless of their training in this area.

Conclusion Spirituality is a deeply personal aspect of the human experience. Understanding and respecting these beliefs can empower palliative care professionals to deliver culturally sensitive care to their patients, irrespective of their level of training.

  • Cancer
  • Palliative Care
  • Spiritual care

Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are accessible in Mendely data, doi: 10.17632/6xggt8tdz9.1

https://doi.org/10.1136/spcare-2024-004997

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    Data availability statement

    All data relevant to the study are accessible in Mendely data, doi: 10.17632/6xggt8tdz9.1

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors JB: conceptualisation, data curation, methodology, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources and software, validation, writing original draft, editing and review. WWM: conceptualisation, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources and software, validation, writing original draft, editing and review. NI and NA: conceptualisation, data curation, investigation, project administration, editing and review. MK: data curation, editing and review. PCB (guarantor): supervision, editing and review. We have used ChatGPT V.3.5 and Grammarly for sentence formatting and grammar check.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.