Spiritual health eases despair
23 May 2003
Spiritual well-being offers some protection against end-of-life despair in people for whom death is imminent, according to a US study of 160 terminally ill cancer patients in a Catholic palliative care hospital.
And the ability to find meaning in one's life might help to deter end-of-life despair to a greater extent than spiritual well-being rooted in religious faith, researchers wrote in The Lancet (2003; 361: 1603-07).
They said the findings showed the importance of spiritual well-being in reducing psychological distress, and had implications for palliative care practice, showing the need for an interdisciplinary approach.
Last Reviewed: 26 May 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 23/5/03
Sponsored links
