spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases慢性疾病患者的精神需求.pdfVIP

Religions 2010, 1, 18-27; doi:10.3390/rel1010018 OPEN ACCESS religions ISSN 2077-1444 /journal/religions Article Spiritual Needs of Patients with Chronic Diseases Arndt Büssing 1,* and Harold G. Koenig 2 1 Center of Integrative Medicine, Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, University Witten/Herdecke, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, 58313 Herdecke, Germany 2 Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA; E-Mail: koenig@ * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: arndt.buessing@uni-wh.de; Tel.: +49-2330-623246. Received: 21 September 2010; in revised form: 25 October 2010 / Accepted: 8 November 2010 / Published: 12 November 2010 Abstract: For many patients confronted with chronic diseases, spirituality/religiosity is an important resource for coping. Patients often report unmet spiritual and existential needs, and spiritual support is also associated with better quality of life. Caring for spiritual, existential and psychosocial needs is not only relevant to patients at the end of their life but also to those suffering from long-term chronic illnesses. Spiritual needs may not always be associated with life satisfaction, but sometimes with anxiety, and can be interpreted as the patients’ longing for spiritual well-being. The needs for peace, health and social support are universal human needs and are of special importance to patients with long lasting courses of di