Estresse e espiritualidade em pacientes com diagnóstico de câncer de pulmão

Abstract

Introduction: Stress may have a negative impact on quality of life and spirituality, independently of religion, and is considered an important coping strategy. Cancer diagnostic is a stressor that has an important impact on global or psychosocial functioning. Objective: to assess level of stress and spirituality among patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Patients and method: participants were 52 lung cancer patients receiving treatment at theInstituto do Câncer de São José do Rio Preto – SP. Data collection used a semi-structured interview, a distress thermometer, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic IllnessTherapy-Spiritual Well-Being – FACIT. Results: 57% of the patients were male and age varied between 48 and 88 years (64.29 ± 9.89); treatment duration media was 69.53 days; 82.69% reported a history of smoking and 72% had quit smoking; 88.46% have a religion and all reported to believe in God. For 61.46% of the patients, diagnosis came as “a shock”; all patients stated that religion beliefs influence health and 94% considered themselves as religious/spiritualized. 82.69% considered religiosity an important theme to be discussed by their doctor; 57.69% presented distress (negative stress) during last week, with mainly physical and emotional problems. FACIT mean score was 28.15 (sd=6.78); mean scores for sense and peace were 16,28 (sd = 3.98); mean scores for faith were 12.11 (sd=3.20). Conclusion: most patients were male and smokers, with high levels of stress. The Spirituality Scale scores were below average for sense and peace, when compared to literature and faith above average.