Religiosity, pain and depression in advanced cancer patients

Objective The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between religiosity, depression and pain in advanced cancer patients admitted in hospice. Methods 115 patients with a life expectancy of less than 4 months were interviewed with a series of standardized instruments, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and religious data were gathered through a semi-structured oral interview. Results High religiosity was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of depression, but religion was not related to pain perception. Depression was found associated with a higher pain level and the subgroup of breast cancer patients, associated to high private religious activity, was significantly less likely to be depressed. Conclusions This study highlighted the importance of religious practice for many advanced cancer patients admitted in Italian hospices and suggested the utility of incorporating religious beliefs and practice into palliative care approaches.