Thesis by Susan Strang: EXISTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND COPING IN PALLIATIVE CANCER CARE – Experiences of patients and family members
September 7, 2010
Susan Strang has defended a ph.d.-thesis at the Karolinske Institutet in Sweden in 2008 with the title Existential Challenges and Coping in Palliative Care – Experiences of patients and family members. It is now available here.
She has other interesting article with relevance for the field of faith and health, published with her brother Peter Strang:
Existential pain–an entity, a provocation, or a challenge? (2004)
Questions posed to hospital chaplains by palliative care patients. (2002)
Spiritual needs as defined by Swedish nursing staff. (2002)
Her brother has long published in the field of palliative care with articles relating to existential concerns, see pubmed.com for more info.
Ny artikel om patienters perspektiver på årsager til sygdom og veje til helbredelse
February 10, 2010
Lektor, cand. mag., ph.d. ved Roskilde Universitet Tove Elisabeth Kruse publicerede i december 2009 resultatet af sit seniorforskerprojekt med følgende artikel: Sygdomsfortolkning og historiebrug. Et patientperspektiv på årsager til sygdom og veje til helbredelse. Bibliotek for Læger, 2009, årgang 201, s. 432-459. Læs hele artiklen her.
Abstract:
Undersøgelsen viser, at patienter med egen sygdom som udgangspunkt
udfører et aktivt erindringsarbejde, der kobler fortid, nutid og
fremtid. De finder årsagerne til deres sygdom i den nære og personlige
fortid. Livsbelastninger, livskriser og egen psykologiske disposition
og evne til at håndtere livets krav og udfordringer skaber sygdom.
Årsagsforståelsen afspejler sig i en massiv og varieret egenindsats i
forhold til bedring eller helbredelse. Undersøgelsen finder en klar
relation mellem årsagsforståelse og egenindsats, og ser synd i moderne
fortolkning som omdrejningspunkt for denne relation. Synd og straf
stadig indgår i moderne menneskers livstydning ifm. sygdom, omend i
nye former og forklædninger. Synd er stadig årsag til sygdom, men den
enkelte synder ikke længere mod Gud eller næsten men mod sig selv.
Synden er i dag verdsliggjort og dens fundament er ikke længere
kollektivt og religiøst, men individuelt og psykologisk. Vejen til
bedring eller helbredelse knytter derfor i vid udstrækning an til den
enkeltes egen fleksibilitet og evne til at lave om på vaner og
mønstre, valg og prioriteringer, værdier og mål. I den udstrækning det
er muligt bl.a. at forlade gamle og sygdomsfremkaldende elementer i
eget liv og egen personlighed og adfærd, er det i patienternes
selvforståelse muligt at skabe grundlag for helbredelse eller bedring.
Analysen peger således på, at nutidens psykologiske teorier om sygdom
og helbredelse dels lukker op for en produktiv egenindsats ifm.
sygdom, samtidig med at teorierne potentielt er “powerful means of
placing the blame on the ill”, som Susan Sontag har formuleret det.
Ny ph.d.-afhandling om københavnernes tro
October 21, 2009
Religionssociolog Ina Rosen har netop færdiggjort sin ph.d.-afhandling ved Lunds Universitet, der undersøger københavnernes forhold til tro og religion. Hun har interviewet 12 grupper med tre informanter i hver gruppe om deres religiøse ståsted. Data er samlet i bogen “Jeg er troende, men i hvert fald ikke religiøs.” Ina Rosens forskning viser, at de fleste af de københavnere hun har interviewet, erklærer sig for troende, men deres tro er individuel og subjektiv, og de erklærer ikke nogen tilknytning til en dogmatik eller kirkelig institution. Læs mere i artiklen i Kristeligt Dagblad.
Artikel om religion og helbred i Time Magazine
February 24, 2009
Kære Alle,
Jeg tænkte, denne omfattende cover artikel fra Time Magazine vil interessere jer.
Religion and reduced cancer risk – What is the explanation? A review
January 9, 2009
Religion and reduced cancer risk – What is the explanation? A review. European Journal of Cancer , Volume 44 , Issue 17 , Pages 2573 – 2579. A . Hoff , C . Johannessen-Henry , L . Ross , N . Hvidt , C . Johansen
Abstract
Several studies of members of Christian religious communities have shown significantly lower risks for certain cancers amongst members than in the general population. We identified 17 epidemiological studies of the risk for cancer amongst members of Christian communities published during the past 40 years. In the studies in which adjustment was made only for age and sex, reductions were observed in the risks for lifestyle-associated cancers, i.e. those associated with tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity and reproductive factors. In the studies in which adjustment was also made for healthy habits, no reduction in risk for cancer was observed. We conclude that the most important factor in the correlation between membership in a religious Christian community and risk for cancer is the healthy lifestyle inherent in religious practice in these communities. The epidemiological studies reviewed did not, however, differentiate the effect on cancer risk of the meaning that a certain lifestyle can give to an individual.
Social inequality and incidence of and survival from tumours of the central nervous system in a population-based study in Denmark, 1994–2003
January 9, 2009
Social inequality and incidence of and survival from tumours of the central nervous system in a population-based study in Denmark, 1994–2003 . European Journal of Cancer , Volume 44 , Issue 14 , Pages 2050 – 2057. L . Schmidt , H . Nielsen , S . Schmiedel , C . Johansen
Abstract
We investigated the effects of socioeconomic, demographic and health-related indicators on the incidence of and survival from tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) diagnosed in 1994–2003 with follow-up through 2006 in Denmark using information from nationwide Danish administrative registers. The analyses were based on data on 5622 patients with CNS tumours in a cohort of 2.7 million people born between 1925 and 1973 and aged ⩾30 years. Socioeconomic and demographic factors were not associated with the incidence of CNS tumours, except for a significantly increased incidence rate ratio (IRR) amongst men in the agricultural class (IRR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.04–1.45). The 1- and 5-year survival was significantly longer in higher socioeconomic groups, as assessed by education, income, affiliation to the work market and size of dwelling.
Betydning af religiøs tro og eksistentielt velbefindende for kræftpatienters livskvalitet
January 8, 2009
Betydning af religiøs tro og eksistentielt velbefindende for kræftpatienters livskvalitet: cand.psych. Christina Gundgaard Pedersen & professor Bobby Zachariae. Århus Universitetshospital, Århus Sygehus, Onkologisk Adeling, Psykoonkologisk Forskningsenhed. Ugeskr Læger 2008; 170 (10):847
Existential and religious issues when admitted to hospital in a secular society: Patterns of change
January 7, 2009
la Cour, Peter. “Existential and religious issues when admitted to hospital in a secular society: Patterns of change.” Mental Health, Religion & Culture 11, vol 8 (2008): 769 – 782.
Danske patienter intensiverer eksistentielle tanker og religiøst liv
May 26, 2008
Læs artiklen Danske patienter intensiverer eksistentielle tanker og religiøst liv fra Ugeskrift for Læger nr. 21/2008. Skrevet af religionssociolog og akademisk medarbejder Nadja Ausker, religionspsykolog, post doc. Peter la Cour, hospitalspræsterne Christian Busch, Henning Nabe-Nielsen og Lotte Mørk
Conference on Faith and Health in Secular Society 2010
