Religiosidade e o enfrentamento religioso em idosos sob cuidados paliativos

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

The present study investigates the religious sense on elder cancer patients hospitalized in a palliative care ward. The investigation adopted the concept of religious coping RC, proposed by Pargament, which refers to the way people resort to their religious beliefs in order to deal with or justify adverse events. The construct considered refers to the locus of control and to the modality related to attribution of causality aiming to identify its respective RC styles: collaborative, self-directive, and deferring, concerning the individuals relationship to God (responsibility and level of activity in the problem-solving process). The research describes the presence and role of religious beliefs in the life of elderly people who experienced the expectation of finiteness, underscoring its use as a coping resource. The study sought to identify the dying process stages described by Kübler-Ross and a dialogue with the three RC styles proposed by Pargament. Six elders in the 60-72 age bracket were interviewed. They were hospitalized in the palliative care ward of a District Federals public healthcare network hospital. The study apprehended the perception they had of the hospitalization experience, their fears concerning death, their religious beliefs, their relationship with God, the RC modalities and styles employed by them. For conducting the interviews and analyzing and discussing the elders speeches, was of inspiration Husserls phenomenological posture. Statements were organized in thematic axes, underscoring their respective meanings apprehended from the reported experiences. The study verified that all collaborators professed some religious belief, and referred to it as a way to deal with this moment in life. They recognized their current hospitalization as satisfactory, manifesting the experience of their sentiments. Positive RC was found on most statements, as well as the use of strategies focused on the problem and on emotion. All elders resorted to the deferring style, and the collaborative style was also noticed in the elders verbal account, though to a lesser extent. The self-directive style was not employed. Regarding the dying stages proposed by Kübler-Ross, most elders reported depressive behaviors, and bargaining was the stage that seemed more related to the deferring RC style. Results found in this study showed important contributions for the Health Psychology and Psychology of Religion fields.

ASSUNTO(S)

ciências da saúde câncer cancer death cuidados paliativos idoso religious coping morte enfrentamento religioso elder palliative care

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