Breast cancer survivors give voice: a qualitative analysis of spiritual factors in long-term adjustment

Abstract

As part of a cross-sectional, quantitative study on adjustment factors in long-term breast cancer survival, 52 women were asked to write in their own words how religious and spiritual factors played a part in their understanding of and coping with this illness. A subsample of 39 women responded to this question. The qualitative method of content analysis was used to define meaning units, descriptive categories and themes from the data. Interpretation of themes in the data focused on the role or function of spiritual/religious factors in long-term adjustment to breast cancer. The majority of women discussed the positive role of various spiritual resources in their response to the experience of cancer, including relationship with God, religious coping activities (e.g. prayer), meaning and social support. A cognitive model of adjustment was proposed which shows how spiritual resources can help breast cancer survivors make meaning of and experience a sense of life affirmation and personal growth in relation to the cancer.