Narrative-based study of spiritual health in advanced cancer patients - insights from Macao’s cultural context with broader implications for Asia and beyond

Sep 30, 2026

Advanced cancer patients commonly face substantial physical, psychological, and spiritual challenges, yet evidence on spiritual well-being in Macao remains limited. This qualitative narrative study investigates spiritual health and patients’ narrative experiences in Macao, compares findings with wider global perspectives, and emphasizes cultural particularities. Semi-structured interviews with five patients were analyzed using the FICA model, and themes were validated through researcher–participant collaborative credibility checks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Method

Result

Conclusion

Introduction

Lo and Luo BMC Palliative Care (2026) 25:10 BMC Palliative Care [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01946-5](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-025-01946-5) RESEARCH Open Access Narrative-based study of spiritual health in advanced cancer patients: insights from Macao’s cultural context with broader implications for Asia and beyond Waichi Lo 1,2 and Zhimin Luo 1* Abstract Background Individuals with advanced cancer frequently have substantial physical, psychological, and spiritual obstacles. Spiritual health has garnered growing attention as a crucial element of palliative care, particularly in enhancing patients’ quality of life (QoL) and psychological resilience. Nevertheless, studies regarding the spiritual well-being of advanced cancer patients in Macao remain scarce. This study seeks to investigate the spiritual health and narrative experiences of advanced cancer patients in Macao, while comparing the results with worldwide perspectives to emphasize cultural particularities and implications for holistic care. Method This study employed a qualitative narrative research approach to perform semi-structured interviews with five patients suffering from advanced cancer in a palliative care centre in Macao from March to May, 2025. Utilizing the FICA model (Faith, Importance, Community, and Address) as a framework. Themes were derived by story analysis, and the credibility of the findings was validated through collaborative developing between the researcher and the participants. Result Five primary themes were identified in the study: (1) psychological adjustment and emotional transformation; (2) social connection; (3) family support; (4) spiritual practice and self-healing; and (5) life reflection and experience transmission. Culture-specific findings encompassed the significance of familial support, the amalgamation of traditional culture and spiritual practices (e. g., Buddhism beliefs), and the impact of nurse-patient narrative exchangesin addressing spiritual needs. Conclusion Spiritual health is a critical component of the comprehensive treatment of patients with advanced cancer. Narrative research effectively elucidates patients’ spiritual demands and coping mechanisms. This study advocates for the use of spiritual therapies grounded in culture and narrative understanding into palliative care procedures. Keywords Spiritual health, Narrative research, Palliative care, Advanced cancer, Cultural perspectives, Holistic care, Macao, FICA model *Correspondence: Zhimin Luo [glennluo@mpu.edu. mo](glennluo@mpu.edu. mo) 1Present address: Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, China 2Hospice & Palliative Care Center, Kiang Wu Hospital, Macao, China © The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creati](http://creati)[vecommons.org/l](vecommons.org/l)icenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Lo and Luo BMC Palliative Care (2026) 25:10 Introduction Spiritual wellness is a foundational element in enhancing the quality of life and psychological resilie

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study on spiritual health?

To explore spiritual health and narrative experiences of advanced cancer patients in Macao and compare results with global perspectives while highlighting cultural particularities and implications for holistic palliative care.

How was the study conducted and analyzed?

The study used qualitative narrative research with semi-structured interviews of five advanced cancer patients at a palliative care centre in Macao from March to May 2025. Analysis followed the FICA model (Faith, Importance, Community, and Address), with themes derived from story analysis and credibility validated via collaborative developing between researcher and participants.

What themes were identified in patients’ narrative experiences?

Five primary themes were identified: (1) psychological adjustment and emotional transformation, (2) social connection, (3) family support, (4) spiritual practice and self-healing, and (5) life reflection and experience transmission.

Sep 30, 2026

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