The Influence of Religion and Beliefs on Healthcare Choices Among Cancer Patients: A systematic review

Details

Supervisors

Jeitani, Celine ; Van den Broucke, Stephan

Faculty

Faculté de psychologie, logopédie, sexologie et des sciences de la famille

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences psychologiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

This thesis explores the influence of religion and beliefs on the healthcare journeys and treatment choices of cancer patients. As cancer remains a major global health challenge, understanding how religion and beliefs shape patients' healthcare experiences is essential for improving the quality of cancer care. This review included literature published on Pubmed, Psycinfo, Embase and scopus between 2015 and 2024. Seventeen qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All regions of the world were included as well as any religion or belief. The selected studies covered any time between the period of diagnosis and remission. This thesis only included qualitative articles in order to achieve a focus on a deeper understanding of the living experiences and decisions about health choices. Were excluded the articles about cancer detection as it takes place before the diagnosis and articles written in other languages than English. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (1) religion, beliefs and perceptions of healing, including beliefs in divine healing, healing through nature, and modern medicine as supported by God; (2) compatibility and incompatibility between modern and traditional medicine, including compatible, complementary, and mutually exclusive perceptions; (3) symptom management through religion and beliefs; and (4) religion and beliefs as a source of community influencing healthcare choices. Overall, the findings suggest that religion and beliefs shape patients' perceptions of cancer, thereby influencing treatment decisions, treatment adherence, and the perceived compatibility between modern and traditional medicine. Ultimately, the results highlight the necessity for healthcare professionals to integrate patients' beliefs into individualized care plans in order to improve clinical outcomes and patients' wellbeing