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Intercessory Prayer on Spiritual Distress, Spiritual Coping, Anxiety, Depression and Salivary Amylase in Breast Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy: Randomized Clinical Trial

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Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of intercessory prayer in the psychological, spiritual and biological scores of breast cancer patients who are undergoing radiotherapy. Double-blind RCT comprising a sample of 31 participants (15 in the Control Group and 16 in the Intervention Group). Data collection was performed in three time points (T0, T1 and T2). Significant changes have been identified in the intra-group analysis, concerning the decrease in spiritual distress score; negative religious/spiritual coping prevailed, while the total religious/spiritual coping increased between the posttest T2 to T0. Intercessory prayer was effective in religious and spiritual scores.

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Acknowledgements

To the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Talita Prado Simão Miranda & Emília Campos de Carvalho

  2. Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sílvia Caldeira

  3. University of São Paulo - Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    Harley Francisco de Oliveira

  4. Institute of Exact Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil

    Denise Hollanda Iunes & Denismar Alves Nogueira

  5. School of Nursing, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil

    Erika de Cássia Lopes Chaves

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  1. Talita Prado Simão Miranda
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Correspondence to Emília Campos de Carvalho.

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Talita Prado Simão Miranda has received research grants from the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) (Grant Number 140122/2014). Sílvia Caldeira, Harley Francisco de Oliveira, Denise Hollanda Iunes, Denismar Alves Nogueira, Erika de Cássia Lopes Chaves, and Emília Campos de Carvalho declare no they have no conflict of interest.

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Miranda, T.P.S., Caldeira, S., de Oliveira, H.F. et al. Intercessory Prayer on Spiritual Distress, Spiritual Coping, Anxiety, Depression and Salivary Amylase in Breast Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy: Randomized Clinical Trial. J Relig Health 59, 365–380 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00827-5

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