The Power of Spiritual Well-Being in Relation to Illness Acceptance among Women with Cancer in Aceh Province
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Abstract
Objective: Cancer in women is one of the most significant global health issues, with incidence and mortality
rates continuing to rise each year according to World Health Organization. Modern healthcare generally follows
a biomedical model that focuses more on physical care and psychological interventions, often neglecting the
spiritual dimension. This pose a question of does spiritual well-being influences how patients interpret their life
experiences while facing cancer, as well as in finding peace and hope during treatment? Although there is evidence
that spirituality plays an important role in improving well-being and helping to cope with chronic conditions, the
gap in acceptance of illness remains. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the relationship between spiritual
well-being and disease acceptance in women with cancer.
Material and Method: The design of this study is a cross-sectional study with a sampling technique using total
sampling. Data were collected via selfreport questionnaires self-report technique through data collection tools
consisting of demographic data and questionnaires, (SWBS) Spiritual Well Being scale, (AIS) Acceptance of Illness,
involving 131 female cancer survivors with the following inclusion criteria: patients aged ≥ 18 years, patients with
compos mentis consciousness and in stable condition, female cancer survivors (ovarian, breast, cervical), patients
diagnosed with cancer ≤ 6 months ago who underwent chemotherapy cycles 1-II. Exclusion criteria were: patients
with mental disorders, patients with impaired consciousness, and patients with physical and psychological
impairments that prevented them from participating in this study.
Results: The results showed a significant relationship between spiritual well-being and acceptance of illness in
female cancer patients undergoing treatment (p-value 0.000). Respondents in cycles 1-II who had high spiritual
well-being with an OR of 9.524 were 9 times more likely to accept their illness.
Conclusion: This study confirms that spiritual well-being plays an important role in improving patients’ illness
acceptance of cancer. Thus, it is recommended that collaborative programs be developed between hospitals and
clergy, and that nurses provide education through a spiritual well-being support approach. The implementation of this program is expected to improve the quality of life and treatment outcomes of cancer patients
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