Effect of Spiritual-Religious Intervention on Illness Perception in Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Introductionreast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the main cause of cancer deaths in women in Iran (1). Although advancements in medical sciences have increased patients' lifespan, the patients are subjected to long-term psychological and physical consequences due to perceiving the disease and its specific therapies as dangerous. Such perception negatively affects the quality of life and psychological well-being of the patients (2). In addition, given the improved survival of breast cancer patients, adaptation to life and management of the disease are among the most important needs of women suffering from the disease (3). Therefore, medical intervention alone is not enough, and it is necessary to design psycho-social interventions for the promotion of health status in these patients (4). Cancer patients are subjected to a profound internal transformation and change in life perspective; therefore, religiosity/spirituality is a matter of central importance for these patients (4-6). In this regard, these patients are strongly seeking to change their lifestyle and increase their spiritual well-being (7). They often request spiritual/religious interventions (8) and believe in the power of religiosity/spirituality to overcome cancer (9). Based on psychoneuroimmunology studies, the consideration of patients' religious/spiritual characteristics in the design of an intervention B

Psychosocial-spiritual interventions among Muslims undergoing treatment for cancer: an integrative review

“…Six studies [ 25 – 30 ] used different strategies for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Finally, seven studies [ 10 , 18 , 19 , 31 – 34 ] relied on Islamic religious principles and practices as a part of a psychosocial-spiritual intervention among cancer patients that had a psychotherapeutic component to it. The included studies evaluated mental health outcomes using different scales, such as the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).…”

“…Throughout this review, we noted a myriad of psychosocial-spiritual interventions studied in Muslim patients with cancer that target various psychosocial-spiritual outcomes, including promoting patients’ mental health, quality of life, and spiritual well-being [ 24 , 25 ], which were the most common outcomes in the studies included for review. Reviewed studies have shown that CBT-based interventions are promising strategies to improve psychosocial-spiritual outcomes in Muslim patients with cancer [ 10 , 18 , 19 , 31 – 34 ]. The reviewed studies are also informative in building a base for the effectiveness of psychosocial-spiritual interventions in Muslim patients’ psycho-oncologic treatment.…”

Psychotherapeutic Interventions Among Muslims Undergoing Treatment for Cancer: An Integrative Review

“…This can help patients to improve mood and combat depressive symptoms such as hopelessness, and in turn, enhance quality of life. While yoga sessions [27] and psychoeducation [20] may stimulate brain pleasure centers, spiritual therapy [28] works on promoting illness perception through patients' cultural beliefs and psychological needs. Zamaniyan and colleagues [31] indicate how spiritual therapy that includes education about the psychological aspects of patients undergoing chemotherapy contributes to improving symptoms of depression and anxiety, ultimately enhancing patients' quality of life.…”

“…Six studies [22,23,24,25,26,27] used different strategies for CBT. Finally, seven studies [10,15,16,28,29,30,31] relied on Islamic religious principles and practices. The included studies evaluated mental health outcomes using different scales, such as the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).…”

“…Most reviewed studies did not examine long-term effects, but rather focused on effects 3-12 weeks post-intervention. Only one study examined intervention effects at 10 weeks [28], and two studies at 12 weeks [23,31]. Since the included studies used various controls, outcome measures, and intervention modalities, this rendered synthesis across studies challenging.…”