Association of spiritual well-being with quality of life among undergraduate nursing students

Objective:The study was conducted with the aim of determining the spiritual well-being(SWB)of nursing students and its association with quality of life(QOL).Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with a sample size of 504 nursing students collected from January 2023 to March 2023 in the nursing institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan,using convenient sampling techniques.A Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure(SHALOM)questionnaire for SWB and K-27 QOL(K-27 QOL)instrument were used for data collection that contains three parts.Results:The number of female participants was in the majority(50.4%)compared to male nurses(49.6%).The overall mean score of SWB of the students was 3.79±0.48,while the mean K-27 QOL score was 3.73±0.57.There were significant differences between the groups of gender(P=0.001),while no significant difference within the groups of semester(P=0.061)and college status(0.285).In QOL,there were significant differences within the groups of semester(P=0.000)and college status(P=0.036)while no significant difference in gender category(P=0.480).SHALOM score is positively and moderately correlated with QOL score(r=0.597,P<0.05).Conclusion:Spiritual practices are one of the important factors that are associated positively with QOL,therefore to enhance the QOL,it will require spiritual practices.

Spiritual Forests—A Nature Conservation Model of Ethnic Minority Communities in Central Viet Nam

This paper aims to analyze and evaluate a model of forest conservation and management of ethnic minority (or indigenous) people in central Vietnam, often referred to as the spiritual forest. These forests, called sacred forest or ghost forests by the ethnic minority people in Thua Thien Hue province, have existed for a long time among forest residents. However, they have recently declined, both in quality and quantity, due to various factors, including changes in society, economy, environment, and perception, among other reasons. Based on research conducted in A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province with household interviews, group discussions, and field surveys, we find that spiritual forest retains religious and human significance. They are also often among the last remaining natural forests left due to deforestation by human activities. The research results indicate challenges that conservation of spiritual forest may face, while giving recommendations derived from communities for sustainable forest development and conservation in the region.

Coping with Trauma:The Relationship between Religiosity,Spirituality,and Post-Traumatic Symptoms among Civilians Exposed to Ongoing Rocket-Fire

Living under ongoing shelling and missile attacks could cause a widespread of disruption of everyday life and emotional distress.Coping with such distress could be associated with the personal resources of religion and spirituality.The present study aimed to examine the relationships between religiosity and spirituality with Post Traumatic stress Disorder(PTSD)symptoms among a civilian population frequently exposed to missile and rocket threats.One hundred and twenty-four(N=124)civilian participants living within 10 km from shelling and missile attacks fired towards them,completed demographic,religiosity,spirituality,and PTSD questionnaires.The study findings demonstrate that religiosity is associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms while spirituality is associated with lower levels of PTSD symptoms.When dividing the sample into two groupsreligious and secular,no association was found between religiosity and PTSD symptoms among the religious group,whereas among the secular group,there was a positive association.Spirituality was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms among both groups.This study may offer a significant contribution to models of intervention following continued exposure to trauma,emphasizing the importance of spiritually and sensitivity to religion while coping with PTSD symptoms.Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

From Spiritual Communication to Digital Communication:Rethinking Marx’s Communication Theory in the Information Age

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels introduced the theory of spiritual communication in their influential work,The German Ideology,thereby establishing the Marxist perspective on communication.This theory has a distinct historical context,meaning,and significance.As society advances,driven by the proliferation of commodity-based economies and advancements in science and technology,humanity has entered the digital information age.The prevailing mode of communication in this era,centered around the Internet and big data,brings great convenience to society but also raises concerns about the potential alienation of both subjective and objective aspects of communication,as well as social relationships.Against this backdrop,the rethinking of Marx’s communication theory in the 21st century provides a logical framework and theoretical basis for critiquing the contemporary form of spiritual communication through the digital communication of the information age.

Factors influencing spiritual wellbeing among pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients receiving chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Spiritual wellbeing emphasizes optimistic and positive attitudes while selfregulating negative emotions when coping with stress.However,there have only been a few small studies of spiritual wellbeing of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)patients undergoing chemotherapy.The core factors influencing spiritual wellbeing in this clinical population are still unclear.AIM To identify factors influencing spiritual wellbeing among patients with PDAC receiving chemotherapy.METHODS A total of 143 PDAC patients receiving chemotherapy were enrolled from January to December 2022.Patients completed general information questionnaires including:Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being 12 Item Scale(FACIT-Sp-12),European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30(EORTC QLQ-C30)and Zung’s Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS).Independent sample t-test,one-way analysis of variance,Pearson’s correlation analysis,and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted for statistical analyses.P<0.05(two-tailed)was considered statistically significant for all tests.RESULTS Total spiritual wellbeing(FACIT-Sp-12)score was 32.16±10.06 points,while dimension sub-scores were 10.85±3.76 for faith,10.55±3.42 for meaning,and 10.76±4.00 for peace.Total spiritual wellbeing score was negatively correlated with SAS score for anxiety and with the symptom domain of EORTC QLC-C30.Conversely,spiritual wellbeing score was positively correlated with global health status and EORTC QLQ-C30 role functioning domain score.Multivariate regression analysis identified educational level,health insurance category,symptom domain,functional role domain,and global health status as significant independent factors influencing spiritual wellbeing among PDAC patients undergoing chemotherapy(R2=0.502,P<0.05).CONCLUSION Individualized spiritual support is needed for PDAC patients.Health,daily functioning,emotional,cognitive,and social function status should be taken into account to promote implementation of spirituality in nursing practice.

An Analysis of the Spiritual Salvation of Adela in A Passage to India

This paper mainly analyzes the spiritual salvation of the protagonist Adela in the novel. In the early 20 thcentury, India is under the British colonial rule and Indians suffer a lot from it. India lacks autonomy and there is a wide racial gap between the British and Indians. In this context, Adela has deeply-rooted prejudice against Indians at first, whose discrimination makes her falsely accuse Aziz of attempting to rape her. However, merging into the Indian society gives Adela a chance to see the goodness of Indians, and finally her racial prejudice is eliminated.

The Research of Natural Landscape and Spiritual Development in Enoch Arden

Enoch Arden is a narrative poem by Alfred Tennyson,which turns out to be the record of the process of its hero's spiritual journey and can be interpreted from the perspectives of the description of natural landscape.

Eternal Nature: Spiritual Haven——The Function of Nature in Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle is one of the most enduring stories of Washington Irving. It is a fantasy tale about a man who somehow "stepped outside of the mainstream of life" (Chang Yao-xin, 1991: 62). Rip Van Winkle lived in a village near the Hudson River north of New York City. He was a simple, good-natured man; he was, moreover, a kind neighbor and an obedient hen-pecked husband. Yet Rip was lazy and this kept him in constant trouble with his wife. His two favorite past-times were sitting in front of the inn, chatting with his friends, and wandering through the mountains with his dog, Wolf. On one of these trips he met a strange dwarf who invited him to join him and other strange-looking dwarfs in a drinking party and a game called nine-pins, in a remote valley. Rip drank too much of beverage and fell asleep. When he woke up, he found that during just one night, twenty years had vanished and strangers were everywhere. His scolding wife had died, and his son, every bit his counterpart in appearance and personality had grown up to replace him. At last he was reunited with a married daughter and began to live a life the same as before.

The Eastern Culture and Salinger——the Revelation of Spiritual Ecology of Buddhism in the Catcher in the Rye

The rapid development of science and technology brought about fundamental doubts about the traditional values and ethics which inevitably led to a spiritual crisis.Salinger had realized that with the deepening of the industrialization and mechanization in the capitalist society,the rationality and the materialistic civilization that highly advocated by westerners have come to an extreme.Salinger turned to the east culture and hoped to seek for a way to save the west from the spiritual crisis.

Psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with chronic diseases: validation of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE： Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire （SpNQ） was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the SpNQ （SpNQ-Ch） and thus to measure psychosocial and spiritual needs of Chinese patients. METHODS： This was a cross-sectional study among 168 patients with chronic diseases who were recruited in the Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China using standardized questionnaires. We performed reliability and factor analyses, as well as analyses of variance, first order correlations and regression analyses. RESULTS： The 17-item SpNQ-Ch had a similar factorial structure as the original version with two main and three minor factors which accounted for 64% of variance, and internal consistency estimates （Cronbach＇s a） ranging from 0.51 to 0.81. Included were the 4-item scale Inner Peace Needs, the 5-item scale Giving/Generativity （with 2 sub-constructs, Praying and Sources）, and a Needs, the 5-item scale Religious Needs 3-item scale Reflection/Release Needs. In Chinese patients with cancer （63%）, pain affections （10%）, or other chronic conditions （23%）, the needs for Giving/Generativity （which refer to categories of Connectedness and Meaning） and Inner Peace Needs scored highest, while Religious Needs and the Reflection/Release Needs scored lower. CONCLUSION： The SpNQ-Ch is congruent with its primary version, and can be used in future studies with the mostly nonreligious patients from China. First findings indicate specific psychosocial and spiritual needs which should be addressed by health care professionals to support patients in their struggle with chronic illness in terms of psycho-emotional stabilization, finding hope and meaning, and thus achieving peaceful states of mind despite chronic illness.

Efficacy of the structured life review and the short-term life review on the spiritual well-beingof terminally ill cancer patients

GOALS: The aims of this study were to evaluate the treatment efficacy of the structured life review interviews and the Short-Term Life Review on the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients, in order to improve patients’ quality of life. SUBJECTS and METHODS: Participants were patients in palliative care units in Japan. In the study 1, the structured life review interviews were conducted with 12 patients. They completed the QOL scale of the SELT-M (Skalen zur Erfassung von Lebens qualitat bei Tumor- kranken–Modified Version) questionnaire before and after the interviews. In the study 2, the Short-Term Life Review was conducted with 30 patients. They reviewed their lives in the first session and they confirmed the contents in the album based on the life review in the second session. Duration of the treatment was one week. Measurement instruments included Func- tional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy- Spiritual (FACIT-Sp). RESULTS: After the structured life review, the mean overall QOL score and Spirituality subscale score of the SELT-M significantly increased, from 2.57 ± 0.61 to 3.58 ± 1.0 (p=0.013) and 2.57 ± 0.61 to 3.14 ± 2.25 (P=0.023), respectively. After the Short-Term Life Review, the mean FACIT-Sp scores significantly increased from 16 ± 8.2 to 24 ± 7.1. CONCLUSION: Both the structured life review and the Short-Term Life Review may be effective in improving the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients, being higher feasibility for the Short-Term Life Review. We need to use these therapies understanding characteristics of each therapy.

Environmental Design and Cultural Spiritual Ecology

Modern people are facing with serious unbalance of spiritual ecology, so modern ecology has gradually taken spiritual ecology into its research scope. The relationship between environmental design and cultural spiritual ecology includes enhancing the artistry of environmental design, therapeutic effect of arts on human cultural spiritual ecology, and achieving the organic integration of human, nature, art and spirits. "Ecological field" of cultural spirit influences values of the masses and promotes the development of history.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of spiritual needs questionnaire with 27 items (SpNQ-Ch-27) in cancer patients

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire with 27 items (SpNQ-Ch-27) for cancer patients.Methods: A total of 457 cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Xinjiang from March to July in 2017 were investigated by using the SpNQ-Ch-27 and convenient sampling method.They were recruited to validate the discrimination,reliability,and validity of the scale.According to the odd and even questionnaire numbers,data were divided into two groups to do exploratory factor analysis group and confirmatory factor analysis,respectively.Results: SpNQ-Ch-27 included 27 items and six factors,which were extracted by using factor analysis.It could explain 63.08% of the total variance.The total scores of each dimension and the SpNQ-Ch-27 were highly correlated,and the correlation coefficient was from 0.58 to 0.78.For the CFA,the overall fitting ideal was x2/df=2.00,RMSEA =0.07,IFI =0.93,NFI =0.86,CFI =0.92,TLI =0.90;Cronbach's α =0.90;the dimensions of Cronbach's α =0.63-0.95;split-half reliability was 0.82,dimensions were 0.68-0.95.Conclusion: SpNQ-Ch-27 is applicable for Chinese cancer patients with better validity and higher internal consistency,and it can be used as a tool to assess the spiritual needs of cancer patients.

Destination and Alienation:Spiritual Belongingness in My Antonia

The backdrop of Willa Cather's works is usually set on the prairie of West Nebraska.She focuses on the depiction of the life style and spirit of the farmers working in the harsh environment of the west,and her work is a loving tribute to the tough and pioneering spirit of its people.She also depicts the spiritual alienation of the various immigrants who move away from home to settle down in the west,exploring their hardship and disillusionment.My Antonia is just this kind of work,which features Jim Burden and his quest of an Antonianized prairie,pregnant with touching nostalgia for a rural past in the west threatened by the multiple complications of an overdeveloping modern world.The thesis aims to dissect the state of spiritual belongingness of the novel's several characters,and analyze their respective implication.

Signifying,Spiritual Places and Langston Hughes's Poems

Hughes's inheritance of literal language rooted in spiritual places constitutes important aspect of Hughes's parody of African American literary tradition.Three categories of themes about spiritual places of African American literary tradition were discussed in this essay to show better understanding of Hughes's poems from Signifying perspective.

Relationship between spiritual well-being and Health-Related Quality of Life and some related factors in patients with AIDS/HIV

Objective:The study of effective factors on the quality of life(QoL),as an important criterion,in the outcome of new therapeutic and preventive strategies in human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)has been considered by researchers.To study the relationship between spiritual well-being and Health-Related Quality of Life(HRQoL)and some related factors in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome([AIDS]/HIV).Methods:In this cross-sectional study,224 people were selected as the study population(112 were male and 112 were female)from patients with AIDS/HIV at the Behavioral Counseling Center of Shiraz with available sampling method.The research tool was Palutzian&Ellison well-being scale and QoL Questionnaire(SF-36).Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test.Results:There was a significant direct relationship between physical function dimensions(P=0.003).There was a significant relationship between general well-being,mental well-being,and total spiritual well-being(P<0.001).There was a statistically significant relationship between the dimensions of QoL and spiritual well-being with some age section of the patients,and their occupation and education(P<0.001).Conclusions:Spirituality has an impact on the QoL dimensions.Therefore,HIV positive people’s quality of life could be improved by the possibility of the spiritual well-being promotion as a method of adaptation with the disease.

The Conflicts of Huck''s Self-consciousness and His Spiritual Growth in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the masterpieces of American novelist Mark Twain. In this novel, Twain not onlydescribes the courageous adventures of Huck, but also his psychological or spiritual growth. Due to the social and cultural back-ground of that time and general cultural concept the protagonist was instilled before, the conflicts of the protagonist's self-con-sciousness appear many times in this novel when the issue of slavery is concerned. However, through the protagonist's inner con-flicts, he finally gains spiritual growth and obtains a higher level of moral maturity.

Poetic Craftsmanship and Spiritual Freedom:An Interview with Professor Sonia Sanchez

This is an excerpt from an interview with Professor Sonia Sanchez, one of the most famous contemporary African American poets. This excerpt demonstrates Prof. Sanchez’s efforts in and views of poetic craftsmanship. As a poet who has been experimenting with various poetic forms like the blues and jazz poems, the sonnet, and the haiku, and reshaping them into her own forms, she believes that a poet has the freedom of choosing form. For her, different forms serve different purposes, and the efforts in the innovation and renovation of forms not only serve the construction of the poem but also express the joy and freedom of writing. Musicality, embodied in the structure, writing, and typographical arrangement of her poems, is a remarkable feature, which, she believes, crosses genders and colors and serves as a means of communication among peoples. Black English, especially the urban black vernacular, is largely used in her poems to exhibit and celebrate the black existence in America and to serve the growth of humanity. Her pursuit in poetic craftsmanship registers her spiritual freedom, self-affirmation and self-pride as a female African American poet.

Henry David Thoreau's Spiritual World

Henry David Thoreau was wholeheartedly in love with nature and he devoted almost all his life time to observation,appreciation and study of nature.Thus he formed a deep understanding of nature.In 1845,Thoreau began a two-year and twomonth residence at Walden Pond.His life was lonely but full of fragrance.He wanted to live meaningfully,confront the essential facts of life and live a simple life.Based on the review of the literature related to this topic,this paper aims to study Henry David Thoreau’s spiritual world,especially reflected in his famous book—Walden.

Exploring the Multivariate Relationships between Adolescent Depression and Social Support, Religiosity, and Spirituality in a Faith-Based High School

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders that affect adolescents. In this study, we investigated how depression in adolescents relates to social support, religiosity, and spirituality in multivariate analyses. We also investigated whether age, gender and ethnicity are predictors of depression among adolescents in a faith-based high school. We measured social support using the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS), religiosity with the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL);spirituality with the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS);and depression with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). Results of the bivariate analyses showed a significant negative association between depression and social support, religiosity, and spirituality (p –0.548, p = 0.00) was negatively related to depression in adolescents. The study found significant gender differences only in religiosity, while significant ethnic differences were only found in social support. Implications to education, practice, research and future directions of study are discussed.