Hadi Hassankhani
1, Amin Soheili
2, Issa Hosseinpour
3*, Jamal Eivazi Ziaei
4, Mina Nahamin
31 Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Center of Qualitative Studies, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
4 Hematology & Oncology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Overwhelming effects of cancer could be catastrophic for the
patients and their family members putting them at risk of experiencing uncertainty,
loss, and interruption in life. Also, it can influence their sense of meaning, a
fundamental need equated with purpose in life. Accordingly, this study aimed to
compare the meaning in life (MiL) of patients with cancer with and their family members.
Methods: This descriptive comparative study was conducted on 400 patients with cancer and their family
members admitted to university hospitals in Tabriz and Ardebil provinces, Iran.
The participants were sampled conveniently and the Life Evaluation Questionnaire
(LEQ) were used for collecting data which analyzed through descriptive and
inferential statistics.
Results: The mean score for the MiL of patients with cancer and their family
members was 119 ± 16.92 and 146.2 ± 17.07, respectively. There is a significant
difference between patients with cancer and their family members in terms of MiL (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The MiL of patients with cancer is lower than their family members which indicates the necessity
for further attention to the psychological process and its modification in Iranian
healthcare systems.