Helping significant others to cope with cancer related stress: a holistic, Scripture-based, pastoral model

Abstract

With a cancer diagnosis, the patients as well as their family members are challenged to learn about the evolving illness, the treatment thereof, treatment-related side effects, prolonged hospitalisations and the overall uncertainty surrounding the cancer journey. Because of the shift from hospital-based care to home care, there is an increase in responsibility of IFCs. As a result, IFCs are being asked to shoulder greater caregiving responsibilities for longer periods of time. Studies on family caregiving have shown that the caregiving role can have stressful effects with the potential to bring about psychological, social, economic, emotional, physical, spiritual, as well as personal (identity) risks to IFCs. Therefore, it is important to approach caregiver related stress and support from a multidimensional (holistic) point of view. Religious involvement among cancer cases has been the focus of considerable research over the past two decades. With growing interest in religious coping of the cancer patient self. There seems to be less research on religious coping of IFCs, even though the level of psychosocial morbidity among IFCs is sometimes comparable to, or even greater than that of the cancer patient. Religious involvement among cancer cases has been the focus of considerable research over the past two decades. With growing interest in religious coping of the cancer patient self. There seems to be less research on religious coping of IFCs, even though the level of psychosocial morbidity among IFCs is sometimes comparable to, or even greater than that of the cancer patient.