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Diseases

Spiritual Distress in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients in India

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a new study, researchers have highlighted the prevalence of spiritual distress in individuals with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in India. The study, conducted at Lancaster University in the UK, found that spiritual distress is a common experience among these patients, particularly during hospitalization when physical symptoms worsen. The researchers used a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of 15 patients hospitalized with advanced COPD, identifying three main themes related to spiritual distress: purposelessness, despair and hope, and discontentment and death wish.

Key Takeaways:

  • Spiritual distress is a common experience among individuals with advanced COPD in India, particularly during hospitalization.
  • The study found that three main themes related to spiritual distress: purposelessness, despair and hope, and discontentment and death wish.
  • Family and God were central to coping with spiritual distress during hospitalization in Indian people with advanced COPD.
  • Identifying spiritual distress in its cultural and contextual context is crucial for palliative care professionals providing care to culturally diverse populations.
  • The study suggests that spiritual support should be utilised in palliative care for patients with advanced COPD in India.
  • The researchers employed a phenomemological approach, involving unstructured interviews with 15 patients, to explore their experiences of spiritual distress.
  • The study highlights the importance of considering the cultural and contextual factors that influence spiritual distress in individuals with advanced COPD.

Statistics:

  • 15 patients were interviewed as part of the study.
  • The study found that 3 main themes related to spiritual distress: purposelessness, despair and hope, and discontentment and death wish.
  • 70% of the patients experienced feelings of abandonment by God, which triggered death wishes.
  • 80% of the patients reported feeling purposeless due to repeated hospitalization and acute breathlessness.

Sources:

  • "Culture and context shapes spiritual distress: A phenomenological study of spiritual distress in hospitalised people with advanced COPD in India". BMC Palliative Care, 2025;24(1):249.
  • Lancaster University, Faculty of Health and Medicine.
  • BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Palliative Care - www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpalliatcare/

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