Background This study aimed to investigate the spiritual needs of patients suffering from lung cancer in relation to their mental health and quality of life. Methodology A cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed to investigate 110 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A four-part self-assessment instrument was used to gather the data comprising a sheet containing demographic and clinical information, Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items, and the 12-item Health Survey. Descriptive inferential statistics were applied. Results Of the 110 patients, 71.8% were men, the mean age was 64.25 (±9.3) years, and 71.8% were married. In total, 40.9% of the patients were retired, and 92.7% had a public insurance company. Regarding education, 30% were primary school graduates and 31.8% were high school graduates. Regarding the clinical features of the sample, 23.6% of the patients had small-cell carcinoma, 71.9% had non-small-cell carcinoma, and 4.5% had large-cell carcinoma. Spiritual needs have a negative effect on the mental health component of quality of life (p < 0.001) and can increase psychological distress in lung cancer patients. Conclusions In contrast to the findings of other international studies, spiritual needs appeared to be lower; however, similar to other studies, spiritual needs increased in those suffering from depression and anxiety. Moreover, the subtype of lung cancer also appeared to play a role.
Keywords: health-related quality of life; lung cancer; psychological distress; spiritual needs; spirituality.
Copyright © 2021, Fradelos et al.