A grounded theory study of Islamic psycho - spiritual framework to deal with loss and grief among Maldivian cancer patients

Abstract

Studies have found that those diagnosed with cancer may experience loss and grief reactions to unexpected illness. Not much is known about their loss and grief experiences and how they deal with it. The literature review found that there is a lack of Islamic psycho-spiritual framework that deals with loss and grief, specifically among Muslim cancer patients. Therefore, this study aims to develop an Islamic Psycho-Spiritual framework to cope with loss and grief among cancer patients in Maldives. This study employs a Grounded Theory approach with data collected through in-depth interviews, observation/hanging out sessions and diary writing of 11 cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment. The analysis of data generated two major categories and five subcategories. The two major categories are 1) How Islamic Psycho-Spirituality helps to cope with loss and grief and its subcategory 1 – Outcomes of Islamic psycho-spiritual coping, 2) The components of Islamic psycho - spiritual coping methods to manage loss and grief with its four subcategories; Doing fardh and sunnah religious acts; Believing and internalising virtues of Islam; Having faith in Allah; and, Building Islamic knowledge. These findings are the underpinnings of the emergent theoretical framework, the “Islamic Psycho-Spiritual framework to deal with loss and grief among patients with cancer”, which offers strategies that patients with cancer could use to deal with their loss and grief experiences. While this study focuses on cancer patients, the framework could be used by counsellors, caretakers of the patients, treatment providers and policymakers to address the Islamic Psycho-Spiritual needs of patients in assisting them in dealing with the patients’ loss and grief experiences.