Issue 14.10
A recent study published in the “Journal of Clinical Oncology” showed the overwhelming need and desire for spiritual counseling and support to cancer patients in improving their quality of life. The study done by the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program showed a significant difference in the advanced cancer patients who had had access to spiritual counseling.
What was really significant in the study was 88% of the participants indicated that spiritual support was very important to them. The shocking news was that the participants reported minimal or no support of their spiritual needs. The article stated “although spiritual support was found to be strongly linked to the quality of life,nearly 75% of the patients reported unmet spiritual needs by their health care system.”
There are three core reasons for this lack of spiritual care to terminally ill patients. Death is viewed as a physical event by a large segment of the medical profession and general population. However,in reality,it is the most spiritual event of our lives. Death is a process of moving from one plane of consciousness to another. For the majority of people,no matter what their religious affiliation may be,it is an act of faith in a Spiritual Being and a belief in an existence beyond the physical universe. When faced with the reality of death this faith becomes activated,even if the person has not attended church in years.
Secondly,there is a great misunderstanding of the role of the chaplain or spiritual counselor by the general public. I remember several years ago visiting a hospice patient. At the sight of me,the person stated: “I’m not that sick,am I?” He confused my role of support with the image of a chaplain on the battlefield of war.
The third reason perhaps is the most heart wrenching. Caregivers in their desire to serve the needs of their loved one don’t want the patient to be disturbed or upset by any discussion or “talk about death.” The truth and reality of the situation is that the patient is often “dying” (excuse the pun) to talk to someone about his/her feelings about this “spiritual process” he/she is going through.
The authors of the study show that spiritual support for the terminally ill greatly improves their quality of life. They concluded their findings by stating: “Although incorporating spirituality/religion into care requires delicacy,attention to this dimension of health has the potential to enhance patient well-being at the end of life.” They recommend that a spiritual assessment be made part of the clinical care of patients with advanced illnesses.
Luigi Persichetti is the chaplain for Southern Utah Home Care and Hospice and the minister of the Unity Church of Positive Living in St. George.
