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Abstract
Religiosity/spirituality (R/S) is often involved in coping with cancer. Qualitative research effectively captures the individuality of R/S constructs. Fourteen military veteran cancer survivors participated in focus groups. R/S questions included “How have your religious/spiritual beliefs affected how you cope with your cancer” and “How have your religious/spiritual beliefs changed as a result of your experience with cancer?” Five primary themes emerged: impact of cancer on R/S, meaning-making, prayer, religious/spiritual role of others, and facing death. Consistency and individuality characterized the role of R/S in cancer survivorship across themes. Implications for future research are discussed.
Acknowledgments
This material is the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Boston VA Medical Center. This work was also supported by grants to Jennifer Moye from the Boston VA Research Institute (BVARI), Harvard Medical School Milton Fund, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development. We thank Jeffrey Gosian for his assistance in participant recruitment, scheduling, and data transcription.