TITLE:
Analysis of Spiritual Care Needs and Influencing Factors among Liver Cancer Patients
AUTHORS:
Jingjing Zhao, Jing Xu
KEYWORDS:
Spiritual Care Needs, Liver Cancer Patients, Social Support
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.17 No.3,
March
19,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aims to investigate the current status and influencing factors of spiritual care needs among liver cancer patients. Using the Chinese version of the Patient’s Need for Spiritual Care from Nurses Scale, we quantitatively analyzed the current spiritual care need scores of liver cancer patients, compared differences in spiritual care needs across various sociodemographic and disease characteristics, analyzed the factors influencing spiritual care needs, and examined the relationship between spiritual care needs and social support as well as perceived burden. Methods: From February to November 2025, 200 liver cancer patients hospitalized in the gastroenterology departments of four Grade III Class A hospitals in Wuhan were selected using convenience sampling for questionnaire surveys. Survey tools included a general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Nursing Spiritual Care Scale (NSTS), the Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS), and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS). Results: The mean score for the Spiritual Care Needs Scale was (38.99 ± 6.34), indicating moderate demand. The mean Self-Perceived Burden Scale score was (38.56 ± 9.76), and the total social support score was (56.69 ± 9.67) points. The total spiritual care needs score of liver cancer patients showed a positive correlation with the total social support score (r = 0.735, P P Conclusion: This study indicates that spiritual care needs are prevalent among liver cancer patients. However, implementing spiritual needs assessments and providing spiritual care in clinical settings faces significant challenges. Therefore, future efforts should incorporate spiritual care training into routine healthcare provider education and integrate theories related to spiritual needs into clinical practice. This will help healthcare providers fully recognize the importance of addressing spiritual needs in patient treatment and care.