Self-Transcendence: Association with Spirituality in an Italian Sample of Terminal Cancer Patients
Behavioral Science July 1, 2023 A. Bovero, Sara Pesce, R. Botto et al.
In terminally ill cancer patients nearing the end of life, demoralization strongly undermines spiritual wellbeing, while self-transcendence and positive religious coping may protect it. Among 141 end-stage patients with a life expectancy of four months or less, demoralization was the strongest negative influence on spirituality, followed by self-transcendence (a protective factor) and positive religious coping (a smaller protective factor). These factors together predicted 67% of the variation in spiritual wellbeing. The findings suggest that supporting self-transcendence and positive religious coping could help preserve spiritual wellbeing and improve quality of life at the end of life.