Correlation of Spiritual Health and Stress Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cancer Patients.

Abstract

Background: Both coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and cancer place a heavy burden on the society and mental health of patients. Spiritual health may play a prominent role in coping with stressful conditions. Considering the existing controversy regarding the correlation between spiritual health and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in cancer patients, this study aimed to assess the correlation between spiritual health and COVID-19 stress in cancer patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on cancer patients presenting to Rasoul and Firouzgar Hospitals, affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences, in 2022. After obtaining written informed consent, eligible patients filled out the spiritual health questionnaire and COVID Stress Scale (CSS). Data were analyzed by the Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and one-way ANOVA.

Results: The mean (SD) levels of COVID-19 stress and spiritual health were equal to 106.5 (44.5) and 26.2 (10.9), respectively, which are regarded as moderate levels. An inverse correlation of -0.48 was found between spiritual health and COVID-19 stress (P < 0.001). Spiritual health decreased by an increase in the stage of cancer (P < 0.001). The mean COVID-19 total stress score and its domain scores [except for the post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) domain] were significantly higher in patients with poor spiritual health compared with those with good spiritual health. However, the difference in this regard was not significant between patients with poor and moderate spiritual health (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: This study confirmed the prominent role of spiritual health in the reduction of COVID-19 stress. Promotion of spiritual health in cancer patients should be considered as an inseparable part of patient care to prevent disease aggravation and decrease the stress level of cancer patients, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.