Posttraumatic spiritual growth: a phenomenological study of cancer survivors
A small but growing body of research has sought to investigate the specific role of religion and spirituality in posttraumatic growth. Recently, investigations have reported identifying spiritual growth following trauma, specifically that of cancer patients and survivors. The purpose
of this qualitative study was to investigate how having cancer affects the spiritual growth of cancer survivors across a multidimensional conceptualisation of spirituality. The researchers investigated posttraumatic spiritual growth by studying the lived experience of 13 cancer survivors using
phenomenological data analysis. Participants reported experiencing spiritual growth across the following domains of spirituality: (a) general spirituality, (b) spiritual development, (c) spiritual social participation, (d) spiritual private practices, (e) spiritual support, (f) spiritual coping,
(g) spirituality as motivating forces, (h) spiritual experiences, and (i) spiritual commitment. Growth was not endorsed by participants in the following three domains of spirituality outlined in the model: (a) spiritual history, (b) spiritual beliefs and values, and (c) spiritual techniques
for regulating and reconciling relationships. Two additional domains of growth emerged beyond the theoretical model that was used to guide this study from participants’ narratives, including evangelism and enhanced spirituality of family/friends.
Keywords: cancer; posttraumatic growth; spirituality
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive, Box 5025 Hattiesburg, 39402 USA
Publication date: 01 April 2011
- Editorial Board
- Information for Authors
- Subscribe to this Title
- Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content