Spiritual Well-Being, Religious Coping and Care Burden in Relatives of Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Mixed-Method Study.

BACKGROUND

Intensive care unit (ICU) admission is an extremely stressful experience that can increase the burden of care among patients' relatives.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the relationships between spiritual well-being, religious coping and burden of care among the relatives of ICU patients.

STUDY

DESIGN

This convergent mixed methods study was conducted between February 2023 and December 2025 in the ICU of a university hospital. Quantitative data, the Spiritual Index of Well-Being Scale, the Muslim Religious Coping Scale and the Zarit Burden Interview were used. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants and analysed using the thematic analysis method.

RESULTS/FINDINGS: Quantitative data were collected from a total of 313 ICU patients' relatives. Higher levels of spiritual well-being and religious coping were associated with lower burden of care (β = -0.190, p = 0.028 and β = -0.128, p = 0.042, respectively). In hierarchical regression analyses, spiritual well-being remained significantly correlated with the burden of care. The qualitative findings revealed that family members who have a relative in intensive care are affected psychologically, physically, socially, and economically. The participants reported that they used spiritual and religious practices, social support, and professional psychological support as coping resources during the intensive care process.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the relatives of ICU patients, spiritual well-being and religious coping were associated with a lower burden of care. In addition, the qualitative findings showed that spiritual, religious, social and psychological resources can play important roles in helping family members cope with the challenges of admitting a loved one to the ICU.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals should adopt a holistic and family-centred approach that recognizes the emotional, social and spiritual needs of ICU patients' relatives and facilitates access to appropriate support resources.