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01-05-2018 | Original Article

The mediating role of spirituality (meaning, peace, faith) between psychological distress and mental adjustment in cancer patients

Authors: Paula Jimenez-Fonseca, Urbano Lorenzo-Seva, Pere Joan Ferrando, Alberto Carmona-Bayonas, Carmen Beato, Teresa García, María del Mar Muñoz, Avinash Ramchandani, Ismael Ghanem, Alejandra Rodríguez-Capote, Carlos Jara, Caterina Calderon

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 5/2018

Abstract

Objective

The objectives of this study were (a) to determine the psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) scale and (b) to provide that FACIT scores behave one-dimensional to establish the mediating role of spiritual well-being in psychological distress and mental adjustment in a sample of patients with non-metastatic, resected cancer.

Method

A total of 504 consecutive patients completed the FACIT-Sp, Brief Symptom Inventory, and Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scales. The dimensionality and structure of the scale were assessed by semi-confirmatory factor analysis; the reliability of the derived scale scores was evaluated using the omega coefficient, and regression analysis appraised the FACIT-Sp’s mediating role between psychological distress and mental adjustment.

Results

A clear and theoretically interpretable solution in two factors that agreed generally with solutions reported in other languages was obtained for the FACIT item scores and omega reliabilities of the derived Meaning/Peace (0.85) and Faith (0.86) scales were acceptable. The oblique solution in two factors was compatible with an essentially unidimensional solution of general well-being and associated strongly with psychological distress and mental adjustment. Spiritual well-being acted as a partial mediator between psychological distress and mental adjustment strategies, such as fighting spirit, hope, and cognitive avoidance.

Conclusions

The Spanish version of the FACIT-Sp scale is a reliable and valid clinical evaluation tool, and further highlights the potential clinical implications of spirituality for improving quality of life and adjustment to cancer.

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Title: The mediating role of spirituality (meaning, peace, faith) between psychological distress and mental adjustment in cancer patients
Authors: Paula Jimenez-Fonseca
Urbano Lorenzo-Seva
Pere Joan Ferrando
Alberto Carmona-Bayonas
Carmen Beato
Teresa García
María del Mar Muñoz
Avinash Ramchandani
Ismael Ghanem
Alejandra Rodríguez-Capote
Carlos Jara
Caterina Calderon
Publication date: 01-05-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 5/2018
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3969-0

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