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Assessment and response to spiritual pain: part II.

Millspaugh CD

VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA. dick.millspaugh@med.va.gov

In Part I of this article, published in October 2005, I hypothesized that the components of spiritual pain can be summarized in the following manner. Spiritual pain or Suffering = ((Awareness of death + Loss of Relationships + Loss of Self) (Loss of Purpose + Loss of Control))/(Life affirming and transcending Purpose + Internal Sense of Control). Thus, an assessment of spiritual pain or suffering should examine the degree to which the individual is experiencing each of these components and their relationship to each other. Now in Part II I examine the Christian sufferer's religious responses and suggest pastoral interventions.

Published 14 December 2005 in J Palliat Med, 8(6): 1110-7.
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