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Spirituality Needs in Chronic Pain Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in a General Hospital in Malaysia

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Abstract

Evidence-based practices that rely upon pain relieving medications and interventional strategies for symptom alleviation in chronic pain survivors have shown modest benefits. The recent emphasis of spiritual care as a new dimension of treatment strategy incorporated within the biopsychosocial model has inspired new hopes to mediate mental and physical health for illness coping. This study aimed to explore the factors associated with spirituality needs among chronic pain patients in a general hospital in Malaysia. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 117 chronic pain patients in a general hospital in Malaysia. Clinical features and assessments were evaluated by an experienced pain physician and retrieved from patient medical records. An interviewer-administered questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographics, the validated 19-items spiritual needs questionnaire and the visual analog scale was utilized. Multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with spiritual needs in chronic pain patients. Patients had higher actively giving score as compared to other spirituality need domains. Central neuropathic pain (β = 1.691, p = 0.040) predicted existential. Renal problems (β = 5.061, p = 0.019) highly predicted religiosity; followed by head pain (β = 3.774, p = 0.036), central neuropathic pain (β = 2.730, p = 0.022), heart problems (β = 1.935, p = 0.041), income (β = 0.001, p = 0.003), living arrangement (β = − 3.045, p = 0.022), face (β = − 3.223, p = 0.005) and abdominal (β = − 4.745, p = 0.0001) pains. Predictors of inner peace include renal problems (β = 3.752, p = 0.021), shoulder pain (β = 1.436, p = 0.038) and pain duration (β = − 0.012, p = 0.027). Predictors of actively giving were renal problems (β = 3.803, p = 0.001), central neuropathic pain (β = 1.448, p = 0.017), heart problems (β = 1.004, p = 0.042), income (β = 0.001, p = 0.0001), age (β = − 0.046, p = 0.004) and abdominal pain (β = − 2.617, p = 0.0001). Chronic pain patients had higher actively giving score compared to other spirituality needs. Their spirituality needs were significantly influenced by pain type, duration and site, co-existing medical conditions and socio-demographics.

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Acknowledgements

This research work was conducted within the Ministry of Health Malaysia facility. We thank the Director General of Health Malaysia for permissions to conduct and publish the research findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Center, Seberang Jaya Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 13700, Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia

    Kurubaran Ganasegeran

  2. Medical Department, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, 41200, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Kurubaran Ganasegeran

  3. Department of Public Health Medicine, RCSI-UCD Malaysia Campus, 10450, George Town, Penang, Malaysia

    Surajudeen Abiola Abdulrahman

  4. Saudi Board in Community Medicine and Family Medicine, Ministry of Health, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia

    Sami Abdo Radman Al-Dubai

  5. Occupational Safety and Health Unit, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, 41200, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Sin Wan Tham

  6. Department of Anesthesiology, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, 41200, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Muralitharan Perumal

  7. Clinical Research Center, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 41200, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Muralitharan Perumal

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  1. Kurubaran Ganasegeran
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Correspondence to Kurubaran Ganasegeran.

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Ganasegeran, K., Abdulrahman, S.A., Al-Dubai, S.A.R. et al. Spirituality Needs in Chronic Pain Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in a General Hospital in Malaysia. J Relig Health 59, 1201–1216 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0730-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0730-z

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