The Effects of Spiritual Interventions in Patients With Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose/Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a spiritual intervention in patients with cancer. Data Sources: Databases searched included both international electronic databases (MEDLINE (R) via pubMed, Cochrane Library CENTRAL, EMBASE, and CINAHL (R)) as well as Korean electronic databases (KMBASE, KOREAMED, RISS, KISS, and NAND) through December 2013. Data Synthesis: A meta-analysis was conducted of 15 studies involving 14 controlled trials (7 randomized and 7 nonrandomized) with 889 patients with cancer. Spiritual interventions were compared with a usual care control group or other psychosocial interventions. The weighted average effect size across studies was -0.48 (p = 0.006, I-2 = 65%) for spiritual well-being, -0.58 (p = 0.02, I-2 = 70%) for meaning of life, -0.87 (p = 0.02, I-2 = 87%) for anxiety, and -0.62 (p = 0.001, I-2 = 73%) for depression. Conclusions: The findings showed that spiritual interventions had significant but moderate effects on spiritual well-being, meaning of life, and depression. However, the evidence remains weak because of the mixed study design and substantial heterogeneity. Implications for Nursing: Oncology nurses increasingly recognize the significance of the spiritual domain of care. The current study indicates that facilitating spiritual awareness and needs may be a worthwhile nursing intervention for patients with cancer.