Beacon in the Storm: An Exploration of the Spirituality and Faith of Parents Whose Children Have Cancer
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing
- Vol. 29 (1), 3-24
- https://doi.org/10.1080/01460860500523731
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe the role of spirituality as a coping mechanism in the lives of parents of children with cancer. This exploratory study was conducted using a dominant-less dominant research design with phenomenology as the guiding theoretical orientation. Twelve parents (eight women and four men) were interviewed. Spirituality was described as playing a key role in the coping repertoire of these parents. In particular, spirituality's influence was described in both a religious and secularized manner with both aspects having a positive influence on coping behaviors among these parents. Health care professionals and nurses in particular have a role to play in facilitating access to spiritual resources as well as acknowledging and accepting the spiritual practices of the families they serve.Keywords
This publication has 35 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Relationship Between Religious Coping and Psychological Distress in Parents of Children with CancerJournal of Psychosocial Oncology, 2004
- Religious Beliefs and Practices of Taiwanese Parents of Pediatric Patients With CancerCancer Nursing, 2001
- Coping with Cancer in the FamilyThe Family Journal, 2001
- Religious Consolation Among Men and Women: Do HealthProblems Spur Seeking?Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2000
- The Child with Cancer. Influence of Culture on Truth‐telling and Patient CareAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1997
- Talking to a Child with Cancer.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1997
- Religion and Spirituality as Resources for Coping with CancerJournal of Psychosocial Oncology, 1995
- The role of religion in coping with childhood cancerPastoral Psychology, 1991
- Coping as interpersonal strategy: Families with childhood cancer.Family Systems Medicine, 1984
- If I Should Die before I Wake: Religious Commitment and Adjustment to the Death of a ChildJournal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1983