Spiritual Distress Among Thai Patients With Chronic Non-communicable Diseases

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality globally and in Thailand. They affect the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual dimensions. Spiritual distress impacts the spiritual health of patients with chronic illnesses. Materials and methods: This study surveyed spiritual distress among patients with chronic NCDs. The sample comprised 400 patients with chronic NCDs from 8 provinces of Thailand, selected using a multistage sampling technique. A Spiritual Distress Scale for Thai Patients with Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (SDS-Thai-NCDs) was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were applied for data analysis. Results: Research findings revealed that the overall spiritual distress among participants was at a mild level (72.65±30.21). Moreover, individual dimensions of spiritual distress were at a mild level, including: 1) Physical expression (9.16±3.54) 2) Loss of relationships with oneself and others (18.36±8.56) 3) Loss of relationship with nature and a higher power (8.49±4.10) 4) Loss of self-esteem, meaning, and purpose of life (21.96±10.16), and 5) Loss of hope and inner strength (14.68±7.63). Conclusion: The overall and individual dimensions of spiritual distress among participants were at a mild level. This finding can be useful in providing spiritual care for patients with NCDs and in further studies on spiritual distress in other groups and research areas.