Analysis of the nature of spiritual pain in terminal patients and the resignification process through the relaxation, mental images and spirituality (RIME) intervention

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To understand Spiritual Pain and the new meaning it takes on using the RIME intervention. Subjects and methods: Eleven terminally ill patients (n=11), treated at public hospitals, received care from six professionals trained for RIME application. The methods used were both qualitative, through phenomenology, and quantitative, based on the descriptive method, using the Wilcoxon Test. RESULTS: In the qualitative approach, six categories and eleven subcategories were found. The prevailing categories were: fear of dying by denying the severity of the clinical condition (n=5); fear of dying by realizing the severity of the clinical condition (n=5); fear of postmortem due to disintegration or feeling of non-existence, of being affectively forgotten (n=5). In the quantitative analysis, a statistically significant difference (p<0.0001) was noted. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that RIME promoted quality of life in the dying process, as well as more serenity and dignity in the face of death.