A Study on the Relationship between the Meaning of Life and Spiritual Distress in Cancer Patients

암 환자의 삶의 의미와 영적고통과의 관계

Because cancer is not curable, patients who suffer from the cancer disease may have physical, psychological and spiritual problems for the rest of their lives. Especially, when cancer patients do not have the meaning in their lives, they will experience spiritual distress seriously. This study was conducted to provide a basis for nursing intervention strategies to minimize the cancer patients' spiritual distress and understand the relationship between the meaning of life and the spiritual distress in cancer patients. The samples were composed of 62 cancer patients who were inpatients or outpatients of three university hospital and one general hospital in Seoul. Data collection was carried out from January 10,1998 to May 30, 1998. Data were analyzed using a SAS program for descriptive statistic, Pearson correlation, t-test, ANOVA, LSD test and linear regression. The results were as follows; 1. The scores on the meaning of life scale ranged from 20 to 140 with a mean of 94. 16(Standard error: 2.79). 2. The scores on the spiritual distress scale ranged from 13 to 91 with a mean of 62. 29(Standard error: 1.38). 3. There were significant correlations between the meaning of life and the spiritual distress(r=.53. p=.00). 4. The linear regression analysis showed that the meaning of life explained 29% of the spiritual distress. 5. In the degree of the meaning of life and the spiritual distress according to the general characteristics, the level of the meaning of life in cancer patients were different by age(F=3. 42, p=.03), marriage status(F=6.06, p=.00), religion(F=4.21, p=.01), thought about treatment of cancer(F=3.76, p=.04). And the level of the spiritual distress in cancer patients were different by religion(F=7.56, p=.00). In conclusion, the meaning of life was identified as important variable that was contributed to reduce the spiritual distress in cancer patients.