Correlation between Depression and Spiritual Health in Women with Cancer

여성암 환자의 영적 건강과 우울의 관계

Purpose: This study was to identify the relationship between depression and spiritual health in patients suffering from female cancer. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive study design. Data was collected by questionnaires from 106 female patients who were diagnosed with cancer of female organs at three university hospitals and one general hospital. The instruments used in this study included, "the Depression Scale" developed by Zung(1965) and "Spirituality Health Inventory" developed by Highfield(1992) and amended by Kim. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients. Results: There was significantly negative correlation between spiritual health and depression in female cancer patients (r= -.65, p< .0001). There were significant differences in spiritual health according to the monthly income (F=4.30, p= .016), the degree of pain (F=2.85, p= .041), the degree of fatigue (F=3.42, p= .020), the frequency of attendance at worship services (F=3.26, p= .014), the effect of religion on personal life (F=9.41, p= .000). There were significant differences in depression, according to the residence type (F= .75, p= .012), the cancer insurance (t=7.86, p= .006), the degree of pain (F=2.78, p= .045). Conclusions: There is a necessity to develop strategies to improve the spiritual health and to reduce depression in female cancer patients. The significant several characteristics related to depression and spiritual health should be considered in psychsocial nursing intervention of female cancer patients.