Cancer survivors' understanding of the cause and cure of their illness: Religious and secular appraisals

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about survivors' understanding of the cause of their cancer and of their recovery, nor how these ways of understanding relate to their well-being. No study has examined both secular and religious appraisals of the same event. The current study aimed to examine both religious (God) and secular (self) appraisals of both the cause (attributions) and course/cure of cancer in relation to multiple aspects of adjustment.

Methods: Data were obtained from a sample of cancer survivors at Time 1 (n = 250) and 1 year later (Time 2, n = 167).

Results: Cancer survivors endorsed higher appraisals relating to course/cure of their cancer than those relating to cause, and they endorsed both secular and religious appraisals. Appraisals of the cause and course/cure of cancer were differentially related to adjustment, such that self-attributions of cause and God-attributions of cause were related to negative aspects of adjustment (eg, negative affect and pessimism), while appraisals of self and God's control over the course/cure were related to positive aspects of adjustment (eg, perceived positive life and health changes since cancer). Religiosity did not moderate most of relationships between religious appraisals and adjustment outcomes.

Conclusions: Secular and religious appraisals of cancer are not mutually exclusive, and religious appraisals are associated with adjustment regardless of survivors' religiosity. Appraisals relating to cause and course/cure have differential relationships with well-being. Addressing cancer survivors' appraisals-religious or nonreligious-in a therapeutic setting may be beneficial regardless of their reported religiosity.

Keywords: adjustment; cancer attributions; cancer survivors; locus of control; oncology; postcancer; religious appraisals; secular appraisals.