ArticleBMC palliative care2026
Echoes of the burdened souls: psycho-social and spiritual turmoil in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care.
Article in BMC palliative care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundPsycho-spiritual suffering is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of advanced cancer. In Bangladesh, patients commonly present at late stages, when their emotional, social, and spiritual needs are rarely addressed. This study explored the lived experiences of advanced cancer patients to understand their psychological, social, and spiritual challenges.
methodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Twenty-four adult patients admitted to the Palliative Medicine ward at Bangladesh Medical University were purposively sampled. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in Bengali, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s framework. Observations and field notes captured non-verbal cues and contextual details. Ethical approval was obtained (BMU/2024/1707), and written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
resultsAnalysis identified four interrelated themes: Living with uncertainties and despair, Conflicting thoughts, Aspects of interpersonal and social relationships, and Unspoken distress and seeking debriefing. These themes profoundly reflected uncertainties, despair, conflicting thoughts of feeling like burden, guilt, shame, social withdrawal, hastening death or suppressed grief to protect loved ones. Distorted familial terms, and spiritual distress from fleeting thoughts of afterlife and need for debrief were expressed.
conclusionsAdvanced cancer patients face complex psycho-social and spiritual turmoil beyond physical symptoms. Integrating structured psychological counselling, spiritual support, and family-centered interventions, advance care planning in palliative care can help preserve dignity, reduce multidimensional suffering, and enhance meaning at the end of life.
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