Spirituality and pain in patients with metastatic breast cancer

Abstract

This observational, cross-sectional and quantitative study, by means of the assessment instruments Brief Pain Inventory, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being and Beck Depression Inventory – Short Form, evaluated the influence of spirituality and depression in the pain perception of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Mean age was 57.3 years. Of the 30 participants, 24 (80%) were treated in a public service, 17 (57%) had been diagnosed with breast cancer for more than 5 years, and 27 (90%) were religious or spiritual. Patients with spiritual well being scores above the median had lower depressive symptom scores (3 vs. 6; p=0.021). The median total score of spiritual well-being showed no significant difference when stratified by median pain perception (31.5% vs. 28.5%; p=0.405). Greater spiritual well-being may be related to lower rates of depression.