Understanding Spiritual Distress Can Influence Surgical Outcomes

Patients facing elective surgery often experience significant spiritual distress, impacting their preoperative mindset and potentially their recovery.

• In a study of 29 surgical patients, 23 reported spiritual distress, expressing greater anxiety and fear regarding their impending surgery.
• Conversely, those with higher spiritual well-being approached surgery as a restorative experience, demonstrating resilience.

Assessing spiritual well-being may be crucial for enhancing patient care, suggesting that surgery teams should consider integrating spiritual assessments into preoperative evaluations.