The Effect of Spiritual Support on Caregiver's Stress of Children Aged 8-12 with Leukemia Hospitalized in Doctor Sheikh Hospital in Mashhad

Abstract

<strong>Background</strong>: Since the caregivers of cancer patients have the main and basic role in caring, supporting and monitoring of treatment of these patients, providing their mental health is essential to continue such a care. Paying attention to spiritual needs is recognized as an indispensable component of the holistic care in nursing. Because of the importance of spirituality in recent years in the field of health, this research is done with the purpose of effect of Spiritual Support on caregiver's stress of children aged 8-12 with leukemia. <br /><strong>Methods</strong>: In this clinical trial study 60 caregivers of children with leukemiaparticipated. Intervention group was instructed 5 sessions based on spiritual intervention according to the Richards and Bergin patternand focusing on the rituals of Islam every day during sixty minutes. Research tools consisted of demographic data questionnaire, spiritual health questionnaire, DASS questionnaire that was completed before and after the intervention. Statistical data were analyzed with SPSS version 16. <br /><strong>Results: </strong>Based on the results with Paired t-test to compare before and after the intervention, stress in intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (p= 0.067). <br /><strong>Conclusions: </strong>With respect to the results of this study, the stress inn intervention group were meaningfully lower than the control group, as a result the sessions of spiritual support had been able to reduce the stress of caregivers of children with leukemia. So it is recommended, such interventions be done for caregivers of children with leukemia due to the low cost, safety and effectiveness.