Does spirituality influence how people cope with cancer? Yes, research shows that spirituality often plays a key role in helping cancer patients manage stress, build resilience, and improve their quality of life. For many facing this tough disease, spiritual beliefs provide comfort, a sense of meaning, and tools to handle the emotional side of treatment.
A study of 200 cancer patients getting outpatient chemotherapy in Istanbul found their spiritual well-being scores averaged around 33 out of 48, which is moderate. Higher spiritual well-being went hand in hand with stronger psychological resilience, like the ability to bounce back from setbacks. This resilience then boosted their overall quality of life, both directly and through the link with spirituality. Patients scored well on subscales for meaning in life, inner peace, and faith, suggesting these elements help them feel more grounded during treatment. You can read more in the full study at https://gevhernesibedergisi.com/index.php/gnj/article/view/743.
At Ocean Road Cancer Institute, patients reported big spirituality challenges, including wrong ideas about what causes cancer or how to treat it. These spiritual struggles made coping harder, but addressing them could ease fears and improve daily handling of the illness. Details are available here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41392744/?fc=None&ff=20251216175436&v=2.18.0.post22+67771e2.
Narrative studies with advanced cancer patients reveal how spirituality shapes their coping stories. By sharing personal experiences, researchers uncovered specific spiritual needs, like finding purpose amid pain. This points to spiritual therapies as a practical way to support patients. Check the study at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41372936/?fc=None&ff=20251211210129&v=2.18.0.post22+67771e2.
Even family caregivers of cancer patients benefit indirectly. One analysis showed spiritual well-being acts as a bridge between their own resilience and life satisfaction, helping them support loved ones better. See it here: https://www.e-jhpc.org/journal/download_pdf.php?doi=10.14475%2Fjhpc.2025.28.4.184.
Therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy have also boosted spiritual well-being and hope in cancer survivors, especially those with advanced disease. Meanwhile, experts at places like the Arizona Cancer Center note that spiritual well-being helps people deal with the mental toll of cancer. Learn more at https://cancercenter.arizona.edu/integrative-oncology.
Ongoing trials, such as one testing spiritual care or psychotherapy added to standard palliative care, aim to measure real impacts on survival and coping. Follow updates at https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07290491. Other work on therapies for survivors appears in https://www.cureus.com/articles/439535-enhancing-well-being-in-cancer-survivors-through-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-a-randomized-clinical-trial.
Sources
https://gevhernesibedergisi.com/index.php/gnj/article/view/743
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41392744/?fc=None&ff=20251216175436&v=2.18.0.post22+67771e2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41372936/?fc=None&ff=20251211210129&v=2.18.0.post22+67771e2
https://www.e-jhpc.org/journal/download_pdf.php?doi=10.14475%2Fjhpc.2025.28.4.184
https://www.cureus.com/articles/439535-enhancing-well-being-in-cancer-survivors-through-acceptance-and-commitment-therapy-a-randomized-clinical-trial
https://cancercenter.arizona.edu/integrative-oncology
https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07290491
