Methodology: This paper examined the coronavirus pandemic and spirituality sociologically in southwest Nigeria, using secondary and primary data. Secondary data includes a review of literature, social media comments, official records, and newspaper reports. Primary data entails using google form (questionnaire) circulated via social media with 221 responses retrieved and analyzed using the frequency distribution tables and bar charts. Also, a one-sample t-test was used for further statistical analysis.
Results: Findings show that rather than attributing coronavirus incidence to spirituality alone, most of the respondents also see it as a public health concern, and precautionary measures should adhere. They see the government ban on social gathering, which affected the religious houses as the right thing to do and not solely targeted as religious houses. However, most believe that religious houses provide 'essential' emotional and spiritual support to the people. Respondents also believe they can get their healing from their place of worship even if infected with the coronavirus.
Conclusion: Based on the findings it was recommended that religious organizations should source valid data so that policy-makers can make informed decisions. Also, there is a need to have an accurate record of the number of infected persons and death rates to know the right time to ease lockdown and lift the social gathering measures. There should also be a place for easy and free testing for people. This will help the government ascertain the number of infected persons, reduce the associated fear with the pandemic, and lessen the people's economic, social, and religious effects.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 504 Iranian older adult participants from Qazvin province were recruited between December 2015 and April 2016. They completed a questionnaire that included the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, the Life Satisfaction Index-Z, and the Herth Hope Index.
RESULTS: Participants in the study had a mean age of 66.20 years (SD: 5.76) and most of them were women (57.5%). A mediation model testing the direct relationships between attachment, hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction showed a positive relationship between close attachment and religiosity (β = .226, p hope (β = .384, p hope was related to life satisfaction (β = .448, p hope mediated the relationship between close attachment (β = .119, p hope fully mediated the relationship between close attachment and life satisfaction, they partially mediated the attachment anxiety-life satisfaction link.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study provide insight into only a narrow perspective of life satisfaction and attachment given the many and varied variables that influence these constructs. Future research is needed whereby other related variables are introduced into the model to be examined further.
METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive design with a convenience sample of 145 Malay patients was used. The mediating role of hope in the relationship between spirituality and quality of life as well as the moderating effect of education level on the spirituality hope link were examined.
RESULTS: Participants with higher self-reported spirituality reported more hope (b = 6.345, p < 0.001) and higher levels of quality of life (b = 1.065, p < 0.001). Higher educational attainment weakened relationships between spirituality and hope (b = -1.460, p < 0.001).
SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The role of advanced education in contributing to lessened hope in relation to spirituality emphasizes the importance of skilled and personalized spiritual counseling in the respective socio-cultural religious context.
Methods: This was a qualitative study with patients diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer and receiving chemotherapy at a hospital gynecologic day-care unit. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with patients to explore how they coped with recurrence of ovarian cancer. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.
Results: The participants' (n = 10) age range was 52-84 years, the three most common ethnic backgrounds were represented (Malay, Chinese, and Indian), and most of the patients were well educated. All patients were on chemotherapy. Six coping strategies were identified: (1) maintaining a mindset of hopefulness, (2) avoidance of information, (3) accepting their condition, (4) seeking spiritual help, (5) relying on family for support, and (6) coping with financial costs.
Conclusions: Coping strategies employed during ovarian cancer recurrence in this setting were rarely based on the accurate information appraisal, but rather on the individual emotion and personal beliefs.
PURPOSE: To explore the experiences of hope of palliative care patients.
METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted at University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Adult palliative care in-patients were recruited and interviewed with semi structured questions on hope. Transcripts from the interviews were thematically analyzed with qualitative data management software NVIVO.
FINDINGS: 20 palliative care patients participated in the study. The themes generated from thematic analysis were (1) The notions of hope, (2) The sources and barriers of hope and (3) The contents of hope.
CONCLUSION: Hope is an ever-present source of energy that gives people strength to carry on even in the most adverse situations. Understanding hope from the palliative care perspective may allow healthcare providers to develop strategies to better foster hope in the terminally ill.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 thalassemia patients. The data were collected using Miller hope scale, spiritual intelligence scale, and personal resource questionnaire. The data were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis.
Results: The results indicated that the mean score of hope was 173.38 (standard deviation [SD] = 24.6). Besides, 86.7% of the patients showed high levels of hope. The mean score of spiritual intelligence was 134.66 (SD = 18.07). In addition, 91.7% of the patients showed moderate levels of spiritual intelligence. The mean score of social support was 127.87 (SD = 20.19) and the patients showed high social support levels. The results revealed a significant association between hope and perceived social support (r = 0.65, P < 0.001) as well as between hope and spiritual intelligence (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). Moreover, perceived social support (b = 0.43, P < 0.001) and spiritual intelligence (b = 0.37, P < 0.001) were the predictors of hope among thalassemia patients.
Conclusion: Considering the study results, in addition to common treatments for thalassemia, policymakers' are recommended to pay attention to spiritual intelligence and more importantly social support to enhance thalassemia patients' hope.
OBJECTIVE: This study sought to test a hypothetical model to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between hope, life satisfaction, and socioeconomic status with aging perception.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used with 504 older aged participants who live in Qazvin, Iran. Data were collected using the Barker's Aging Perception Questionnaire, Life Satisfaction Index-Z, and Herth Hope Index.
RESULTS: The results of path analysis showed that hope was the most important factor affecting aging perception. Results drawn from correlation analysis indicated that there was a positive significant correlation ( r = .383, p < .001) between hope and aging perception. Further analysis found that hope had the strongest impact on aging perception compared with the other variables analyzed (e.g., life satisfaction and socioeconomic status).
CONCLUSIONS: A model of aging perception in Iranian elders is presented. The findings suggested that hope had a significant and positive impact on aging perception. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.