Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing Patients’ Spiritual Needs in Healthcare: An Overview of Questionnaires

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Spiritual Needs in Research and Practice

Abstract

Spiritual care is an area of growing focus in healthcare internationally as research shows that existential, spiritual, and/or religious considerations and needs increase with life-threatening illness, and that quality of life increases when spiritual needs are addressed through spiritual care. This study presents an overview of spiritual assessment questionnaires as a way to approach the assessment of spiritual needs. Through the Catalogue of Spiritual Care Instruments, 22 questionnaires were located, representing a variety of geographical and healthcare contexts. The presentation of these questionnaires initiates a discussion of international relevance for the continuing development of spiritual care and international exchanges of best practices. The study concludes that spiritual assessment questionnaires are in focus in many cultural contexts and healthcare areas, but also that the bias of language makes it difficult to exchange best practice. In the end, a spiritual needs assessment is a matter between the individual patient and the healthcare professional (HCP) involved. It is an area of intimacy and privacy, not easily approached, demanding great empathy on behalf of the involved HCPs. A spiritual needs assessment questionnaire can be an appropriate way to approach this.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    In this study we focus exclusively on the concept of spirituality, and even though the concepts of existential and religious are intertwined with spirituality they fall outside the aim of this paper and are thus not included in this discussion. For differentiation and discussion of the concepts in relation to health, see la Cour and Hvidt (2010).

References

  • Assing Hvidt E, Søndergaard J, Gulbrandsen P, Ammentorp J, Timmermann C, Hvidt NC (2018) We are the barriers’: Danish general practitioners’ interpretations of why the existential and spiritual dimensions are neglected in patient care. Commun Med 14(2):108–120. https://doi.org/10.1558/cam.32147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balboni TA, Paulk ME, Balboni MJ, Phelps AC, Loggers ET, Wright AA, Block SD, Lewis EF, Pette JR, Prigerson HG (2010) Provision of spiritual care to patients with advanced cancer: associations with medical care and quality of life near death. J Clin Oncol 28(3):445–452. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2009.24.8005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balboni MJ, Sullivan A, Enzinger AC, Epstein-Peterson ZD, Tseng YD, Mitchell C, Niska J, Zollfrank A, VanderWeele TJ, Balboni TA (2014) Nurse and physician barriers to spiritual care provision at the end of life. J Pain Symptom Manag 48(3):400–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.09.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger PL (2015) The hospital: on the Interface between secularity and religion. Society 52(5):410–412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-015-9941-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkhart L, Schmidt L, Hogan N (2011) Development and psychometric testing of the spiritual care inventory instrument. J Adv Nurs 67(11):2463–2472. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05654.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Büssing A, Koenig HK (2010) Spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases. Religions 1(1):18–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel1010018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Büssing A, Balzat HJ, Heuser P (2010) Spiritual needs of patients with chronic pain diseases and Cancer—validation of the spiritual needs questionnaire. Eur J Med Res 15(6):266–273. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-783x-15-6-266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Büssing A, Recchia D, Koenig H, Baumann K, Frick E (2018) Factor structure of the spiritual needs questionnaire (SpNQ) in persons with chronic diseases, elderly and healthy individuals. Religions 9(1):13. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9010013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cadge W, Bandini J (2015) The evolution of spiritual assessment tools in healthcare. Society 52(5):430–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-015-9926-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan CW, Wong FK, Yeung SM, Sum F (2016) Holistic health status questionnaire: developing a measure from a Hong Kong Chinese population. Health Qual Life Outcomes 14:28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-016-0416-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole BS, Hopkins CM, Tisak J, Steel JL, Carr BI (2008) Assessing spiritual growth and spiritual decline following a diagnosis of cancer: reliability and validity of the spiritual transformation scale. Psycho-Oncology 17:112–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • la Cour P, Hvidt NC (2010) Research on meaning-making and health in secular society: secular, spiritual and religious existential orientations. Soc Sci Med 71(7):1292–1299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.06.024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • la Cour P, Ausker NHR, Hvidt NC (2012) Six understandings of the word “spirituality” in a secular country. Arch Psychol Relig 34(1):63–81. https://doi.org/10.1163/157361212X649634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daudt VM (2013) Enhancing the scoping study methodology. BMC Med Res 13:48. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2288-13-48

  • Descola P (2011) Beyond nature and culture. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • El Nawawi NM, Balboni MJ, Balboni TA (2012) Palliative care and spiritual care: the crucial role of spiritual care in the care of patients with advanced illness. Curr Opin Support Palliat Care 6(2):269–274. https://doi.org/10.1097/SPC.0b013e3283530d13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitchett G, Risk JL (2009) Screening for spiritual struggle. J Pastoral Care Counsel 63(1–2):4-1-12

    Google Scholar 

  • Galek K, Flannelly KJ, Vane A, Galek RM (2005) Assessing a Patient’s spiritual needs. A comprehensive instrument. Holist Nurs Pract 19(2):62–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson CA, Pessin H, McLain CS, Shah AD, Breitbart W (2004) The unmet need: addressing spirituality and meaning through culturally sensitive communication and intervention. In: Moore RJ, Spiegel D (eds) Cancer, culture, and communication. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, pp 281–298

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gijsberts MHE, Liefbroer AI, Otten R, Olsman E (2019) Spiritual Care in Palliative Care: a systematic review of the recent European literature. Med Sci (Basel) 7(2):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci7020025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greasley P, Chiu LF, Gartland M (2001) The concept of spiritual care in mental health nursing. J Adv Nurs 33(5):629–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall DE, Koenig HG, Meador KG (2004) Conceptualizing “Religion”. Perspect Biol Med 47(3):386–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrad R, Cosentino C, Keasley R, Sulla F (2019) Spiritual care in nursing: an overview of the measures used to assess spiritual care provision and related factors amongst nurses. Acta Biomed 90(4-S):44–55. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v90i4-S.8300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermann CP (2006) Development and testing of the spiritual needs inventory for patients near the end of life. Oncol Nurs Forum 33(4):737–744. https://doi.org/10.1188/06.ONF.737-744

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill PC, Pargament K II, Hood RW, McCullough JME, Swyers JP, Larson DB, Zinnbauer BJ (2000) Conceptualizing religion and spirituality: points of commonality, points of departure. J Theory Soc Behav 30(1):51–77. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5914.00119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodge DR (2006) A template for spiritual assessment: a review of the JCAHO requirements and guidelines for implementation. Soc Work 51(4):317–326. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/51.4.317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hummel L, Galek K, Murphy KM, Tannenbaum HP, Flannelly LT (2008) Defining spiritual care: an exploratory study. J Health Care Chaplain 15(1):40–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/08854720802698509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hungelmann J, Kenkel-Rossi E, Klassen L, Stollenwerk R (1996) Focus on spiritual well-being: harmonious interconnectedness of mind-body-Spirit use of the JAREL spiritual well-being scale assessment of spiritual well-being is essential to the health of individuals. Geriatr Nurs 17:262–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iversen HR (2019) Kirkelige handlinger for mennesker med forskellige religioner og livstydninger. In: Johannesen-Henry CT, Iversen HR (eds) Mangefoldet tro. Eksistensen Akademisk, Copenhagen. Multiplicitet Som Vilkår for Mennesker, Møder Og Samtaler. Eksistensen Akademisk, Copenhagen, pp 111–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Jafari N, Zamani A, Farajzadegan Z, Bahrami F, Emami H, Loghmani A (2013) The effect of spiritual therapy for improving the quality of life of women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Psychol Health Med 18(1):56–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2012.679738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jim HS, Purnell JQ, Richardson SA, Golden-Kreutz D, Andersen BL (2006) Measuring meaning in life following cancer. Qual Life Res 15(8):1355–1371

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johannesen-Henry CT, Iversen HR (2019) Mangefoldet tro. Eksistensen Akademisk, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Johannessen-Henry CT (2012) Polydox eschatology: relating systematic and everyday theology in a cancer context. Studia Theologica-Nordic Journal of Theology 66(2):107–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ku YL, Kuo SM, Yao CY (2010) Establishing the validity of a spiritual distress scale for cancer patients hospitalized in southern Taiwan. Int J Palliat Nurs 16(3):133–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lo C, Panday T, Zeppieri J, Rydall A, Murphy-Kane P, Zimmermann C, Rodin G (2017) Preliminary psychometrics of the existential distress scale in patients with advanced cancer. Eur J Cancer Care 26:e12597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mateo-Ortega D, Limonero JT, Mate-Mendez J, Beas E, Gonzalez-Barboteo J, Barbero E, Ela S, Gomez-Batiste X (2018) Development of a tool to identify and assess psychosocial and spiritual needs in end-of-life patients: the ENP-E scale. Palliat Support Care 17(4):441–447. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951518000652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nissen RD (2019) In that most secular of rooms—the religious patient in secular psychiatry. PhD Thesis. University of Southern Denmark, Odense

    Google Scholar 

  • Nissen RD, Gildberg FA, Hvidt NC (2018) Psychiatry, a secular discipline in a Postsecular world? A Review Religions 9(1):32. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9010032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nissen RD, Falkø E, Toudal DV, Assing-Hvidt E, Büssing A, Søndergaard J, Walin JA, Hvidt NC (2020) The catalogue of spiritual care instruments: a scoping review. Religions 11:252. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11050252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nolan S, Saltmarsh P, Leget C (2011) Spiritual care in palliative care: working towards an EAPC task force. Europena Journal of Palliative Care 18(2):86–89

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien ME (1993) Spiritual assessment scale. In: O’Brien ME sixth edition 2018. Spirituality in nursing. Standing on holy ground. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, pp 49–56. ISBN: 9781284121001

    Google Scholar 

  • Østergaard Steenfeldt V (2018) Understanding and optimization of spiritual care for the dying in nursing homes. Post-Doc Post-Doc. Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark/University College Absalon, Odense/Sorø

    Google Scholar 

  • Otuzoglu M, Talas MS (2019) Development of a scale to identify spiritual care needs of oncology patients. International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences 8(4):39–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen CS, Post RC (2012) Åndelig omsorg—Et litteraturstudie af de eksisterende barrierer. MA Thesis, Professionshøjskolen Metropol, København

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterman AH, Fitchett G, Brady MJ, Hernandez L, Cella RD (2002) Measuring spiritual well-being in people with Cancer: the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy—spiritual well-being scale (FACIT-Sp). Ann Behav Med 24(1):49–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski C, Ferrell B, Virani R, Otis-Green S, Baird P, Bull J, Chochinov H, Handzo G, Nelson-Becker H, Prince-Paul M, Pugliese K, Sulmasy D (2009) Improving the quality of spiritual care as a dimension of palliative care: the report of the consensus conference. J Palliat Care 12(10):885–904. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2009.0142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramezani M, Ahmadi F, Mohammadi E, Kazemnejad A (2014) Spiritual care in nursing: a concept analysis. Int Nurs Rev 61(2):211–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rushton L (2014) What are the barriers to spiritual care in a hospital setting? Br J Nurs 23(7):370–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seddigh R, Keshavarz-Akhlaghi AA, Azarnik S (2016) Questionnaires measuring patients’ spiritual needs: a narrative literature review. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci 10(1):e4011. https://doi.org/10.17795/ijpbs-4011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selman L, Siegert RJ, Higginson IJ, Agupio G, Ninat N, Downing J, Gwyther L, Mashao T, Mmoledi K, Moll Y, Sebuyira LM, Ikin B, Harding R (2012) The “Spirit 8” successfully captured spiritual well-being in African palliative care: factor and Rasch analysis. J Clin Epidemiol 65:434–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.09.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma RK, Astrow AB, Texeira K, Sulmasy DP (2012) The spiritual needs assessment for patients (SNAP): development and validation of a comprehensive instrument to assess unmet spiritual needs. J Pain Symptom Manag 44(1):44–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slort W, Schweitzer BP, Blankenstein AH, Abarshi EA, Riphagen II, Echteld MA, Aaronson NK, van der Host H, Deliens L (2011) Perceived barriers and facilitators for general practitioner-patient communication in palliative care: a systematic review. Palliat Med 25(6):613–629. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216310395987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tae YS, Choi YS, Nam GH, Bae JY (2017) Development of the Hope scale for Korean Cancer patients. Korean J Adult Nurs 29(2):211–223. https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2017.29.2.211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor EJ (2006) Prevalence and associated factors of spiritual needs among patients with cancer and family caregivers. Oncol Nurs Forum 33(4):729–735. https://doi.org/10.1188/06.ONF.729-735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Unsanit P, Sunsern R, Kunsongkeit W, O’Brien ME, McMullen PC (2012) Development and evaluation of the Thai spiritual well-being assessment tool for elders with a chronic illness. Pacific Rim Int J Nurs Res 16(1):13–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Vilalta A, Valls J, Porta J, Vinas J (2014) Evaluation of spiritual needs of patients with advanced cancer in a palliative care unit. J Palliat Med 17(5):592–600. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2013.0569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vivat B, Young TE, Winstanley J, Arraras JI, Black K, Boyle F, Bredart A, Costantini A, Guo J, Irarrazaval ME, Kobayashi K, Kruizinga R, Navarro M, Omidvari S, Rohde GE, Serpentini S, Spry N, Van Laarhoven HWM, Yang GM, EORTC Quality of Life Group (2017) The international phase 4 validation study of the EORTC QLQ-SWB32: a stand-alone measure of spiritual well-being for people receiving palliative care for cancer. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 26(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12697

  • Wu LF, Koo M, Liao YC, Chen YM, Yeh DC (2016) Development and validation of the spiritual care needs inventory for acute care hospital patients in Taiwan. Clin Nurs Res 25(6):590–606. https://doi.org/10.1177/1054773815579609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yong J, Kim J, Han SS, Puchalski CM (2008) Development and validation of a scale assessing spiritual needs for Korean patients with Cancer. J Palliat Care 24:240–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Ricko Damberg Nissen & Niels Christian Hvidt

Authors
  1. Ricko Damberg Nissen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Niels Christian Hvidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ricko Damberg Nissen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Professorship Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Herdecke, Germany

    Arndt Büssing

  2. IUNCTUS—Competence Center for Christian Spirituality, Philosophical-Theological University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Arndt Büssing

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Nissen, R.D., Hvidt, N.C. (2021). Assessing Patients’ Spiritual Needs in Healthcare: An Overview of Questionnaires. In: Büssing, A. (eds) Spiritual Needs in Research and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70139-0_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation