EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL COUNSELING ON SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING OF CANCER PATIENTS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY IN OMID RESEARCH-TREATMENT HOSPITAL IN URMIA, IN 2014

Cancer carries a lot of complications in disease and treatment stages. The most
important side effect of cancer is disrupting of spiritual wellbeing. It seems that the development of
solutions based on spirituality and spiritual counseling can be especially effective factors in
aforementioned Components. The main aim of this study is to survey the effect of spiritual counseling
on spiritual well-being in patients with cancer who undergoing chemotherapy in Omid researchtreatment hospital in Urmia.
Materials & Methods: In this clinical study, 60 patients with cancer who hospitalized in Omid researchtreatment hospital randomly were selected and divided equally into intervention and control groups as
well. The intervention group received 8 approved spiritual counseling sessions, based on standard
training plan, and the control group received routine hospital care. Data collection instrument used in
this study was the Pallutzian and Ellison Spiritual Well-Being questionnaire and the obtained data were
analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.
Results: The mean and standard deviation scores of spiritual well-being of patients, before and after the
intervention were respectively 73/6 ± 67/54 and 19/6 ± 83/85. The mean and standard deviation scores
in control group, before and after treatment, were respectively 74 76/5 ± 33/54 and 98/5 ± 80/54 as well.
Fractional comparisons with independent t-test in two groups showed a significant difference in scores
between the two groups (P< 0.001). There was no significant difference between pre-test scores in
groups (P> 0.05). Furthermore, in comparing the mean scores with paired t-test score, no significant
difference was observed before and after the intervention (P< 0.001). There was no significant difference
in scores, before and after the intervention, in control group as well (P> 0.05).
Conclusion: Implementing the spiritual counseling plays an important role in the spiritual well-being
of patients with cancer. This significant factor highlights the importance of the spiritual and running
consultation plan in public centers where cancer patients are hospitalized.