ReviewSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025
Spiritual suffering in palliative care: a concept analysis.
Review in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Deciding between conservative kidney management and dialysis in older people with kidney failure: a narrative review.Clinical kidney journal · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe concept of spiritual suffering in palliative care lacks clarity, which hinders appropriate therapeutic response. This study aims to clarify and define the concept of spiritual suffering within the context of palliative care. The research questions guiding this study are: What are the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of spiritual suffering in palliative care? How is it defined within that setting?
methodsA concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant's eight-step approach: (1) selecting the concept; (2) determining the aim; (3) identifying all uses of the concept; (4) defining attributes; (5) constructing a model case; (6) identifying borderline, related, and contrary cases; (7) specifying antecedents and consequences; and (8) identifying empirical referents.
resultsSpiritual suffering in palliative care is a personal and transcendental phenomenon, marked by a profound disruption in existential meaning, personal identity, and deterioration of relational connection. This experience may include internal conflict within belief systems, hopelessness, existential questioning, multiple concerns, and significant difficulty accepting circumstances that threaten one's sense of integrity. Emotional responses are also present and may intensify distress, hindering the pursuit of inner peace.
conclusionThis analysis offers a clear and operational definition of spiritual suffering in the context of palliative care and identifies its core components. It can assist professionals in recognising and addressing this form of suffering, fostering more compassionate, person-centred care. These findings offer valuable insights for ongoing efforts to integrate spiritual care into holistic palliative care practice and for future research on development of effective spiritual care interventions.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40824396What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.