Effect of spiritual counseling on spiritual well-being in Iranian women with cancer: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effect of spiritual counseling on the spiritual well-being of Iranian women with cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: a randomized clinical trial was conducted on 42 female cancer patients who were randomized to either an 8-week spiritual counseling intervention (n = 21) or a control group that received routine education/care (n = 21). Spiritual well-being (SWB) was assessed before and after the 8-week spiritual counseling program using Paloutzian and Ellison's (1983) Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS). RESULTS: There were no significant differences on SWBS and its two subscales scores (RWB and EWB) between intervention and control groups at baseline (p > .05). After intervention, there was a significant mean difference in SWB (p = .001), RWB (p = .013) and EWB (p = .001) in two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Spiritual counseling is associated with significant improvements in SWB in Iranian women with cancer. Interventions that acknowledge the spiritual needs of these patients should be incorporated into conventional treatments.

Duke Scholars

Author Harold G. Koenig Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Adult Psychiatry & Psychol ...