말기암환자의 영적안녕, 말기암환자 가족의 죽음에 대한 태도 및 영적안녕 간의 관계

Relationship between Spiritual Well-being of Terminal Cancer Patients and Their Families’ Spiritual Well-being and Attitudes toward Death

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the spiritual well-being of terminal cancer patients and their families’ spiritual well-being and attitudes toward death. Methods: Conducted from April to May 2018, this descriptive cross-sectional study included 118 patients and their families from six hospice/palliative care facilities. The survey employed structured questionnaires including the Functional Assessment of Chronic-Illness Therapy-Spirituality for patients and the Death Orientation scale and spiritual well-being for their families. Data were analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics with SPSS for Windows 18.0. Results: Families’ spiritual well-being and attitudes toward death were related to the type of religion they followed; Christians, Protestants, and Catholics held more positive views than Buddhists and those who did not follow a religion. The spiritual well-being and attitude to death of terminal cancer patient’s family were related to religious types, so Protestants and Catholics had a more positive view than Buddhists and non-religious ones. Family members’ existential well-being scores were remarkably high when the patient spent a short period in the hospice ward and when they themselves were in good health and had jobs and a high monthly income. The spiritual well-being of terminal cancer patients was positively related to the spiritual well-being of their families, which, in turn, was positively related to their attitudes toward death. Conclusion: It is deemed necessary to develop hospice-specific, customized support programs that take into account religion to improve the spiritual well-being of terminal cancer patients and their families.