Nursing Research and Sponsored Programs is pleased to highlight this past month’s Featured Publication by Assistant Professor Dr. Megan Miller, PhD, RN!
People with cancer commonly struggle with pain, and for some, this can include pain-related catastrophizing [spirals of mental stress, fear, anger, and hopelessness]. Dr. Miller’s team conducted surveys and interviews with people who have cancer, to better understand if a person’s sense of spirituality plays a role in their experience of pain-related catastrophizing and pain outcomes. They found that spirituality was related to both catastrophizing and pain outcomes. Many participants highlighted the supportive role of spirituality when facing pain [e.g., by serving as a motivation to continue amidst suffering and providing meaning and a wider perspective around pain]. Findings also shed light on limitations of spirituality in the context of some pain experiences. This exploratory study raises additional questions about the role of spirituality in facing suffering, which will continue to be explored among diverse populations and contexts.
Miller, M.,* Speicher, S.*, Hardie, K.*, Brown, R.* & Rosa, W. E. [2024]. The role of spirituality in pain experiences among adults with cancer: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32[3], 169.
*UW-Madison School of Nursing
This post was authored by Emma Schaefer on 04/30/2024.