Spiritual beliefs and religious institutions have been with humans since the beginning of time. Every culture around the world holds some form of religious or spiritual beliefs about man, creator, the universe and our place in it. When faced with horrible events like car accidents, disease and death, many turn to religion or spirituality to find solace and meaning. Research has shown that when diagnosed with cancer, patients who hold close some form of religion or spirituality fare better in three areas of quality of life when compared to those who do not.
Spirituality vs. Religion
Many often associate the word spiritual with the word religion, yet the two can be quite separate. In general terms, religion consists of an organized community that shares the same faith, believes in the same written doctrine and lives by the same code of behavior. It is quite organized and structured. Spirituality, on the other hand, embraces a person’s individual beliefs and experiences relating to something “larger than them,” or divine in nature. It is a non-religious way of finding meaning in life and constructing a worldview based on what is held sacred to them, and perhaps others. There are also people who are neither spiritual nor religious. Yet studies reveal that belief in the divine provides greater outcomes when compared to non-believers.
Health and Quality of Life
Regardless of the belief system, retaining and restoring health and living with a good quality of life (QOL) are important. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This means that quality of life is part and parcel of good health, and according to the WHO, must include attention to an individual’s cultural context and value systems. Religion and spiritual beliefs are often wrapped up in cultural contexts and individual and shared value systems.
Recent Analysis of Religious and Spiritual Belief
The American Cancer Society’s peer-reviewed journal Cancer, recently published results of a meta-analysis of a large body of research which has examined the importance of religion and spirituality for cancer patients and their experienced outcomes. The study was an analysis of all available studies on the topic and contains more than 44,000 cancer patients associating religion and spirituality with their mental, social, and physical well-being, or quality of life. Investigators focused on three separate analysis topics: physical health, mental health, and social health.
Physical Health
The first analysis focused on the potential physical health benefits derived from a belief in religion or spirituality. The analysis revealed that patients who reported having a greater overall religiousness or spirituality had a greater ability to perform their usual daily tasks, when compared with non-religious or spiritual patients. They also experienced fewer physical symptoms of the cancer or its treatment.
Mental Health
The second part of the analysis examined mental health of cancer patients as associated with their belief systems. Positive mental health was more strongly associated with cancer patients who held strong religious or spiritual beliefs than those who did not.
Social Health
The final analysis focused on social health among cancer patients or their ability to retain social roles and relationships during their illness. In this case, both religious and spiritual beliefs did show modest links with social health.
Conclusions
These findings provide insight into the fact that belief in religion or having deep-seated spiritual beliefs can do much for improving the overall quality of life among cancer patients. It can be inferred that the same holds true for all disease patients. The power of the mind, of belief, is an essential component of health and well-being.
While we can’t say from these findings whether or not people with religious or spiritual beliefs suffering from cancer lived longer than their counterparts who do not believe, having a better quality of life while alive is invaluable. The research on “longevity” shows that people who have spiritual practices, eat clean, practice meditation or relaxation techniques, take supplements, exercise and so on actually do not live longer than those who don’t. However, their quality of life is much improved and their joy in life is greater. And so it seems, if we can’t extend our lives in a measurable way, living its best quality is perhaps more than we can ask for.
