The Relationship between Self-Compassion and Spiritual Health with Quality of Life and Mood in Women with Breast Cancer

Considering the life quality and short-temperedness of breast cancer patients, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-compassion and spiritual health with quality of life and mood in women with breast cancer in Shiraz. The statistical population of the study was women with breast cancer who referred to health centers in Shiraz. The sample of the study, selected by available method, included 270 women who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy and referred to Motahari Clinic in Shiraz for post-operative follow up. In order to measure the variables of the research, the quality of life questionnaire (World Health Organization, 1996), the mood profiling questionnaire (McNeir and Dappleman, 1971), the self-compassion scale (Rees et al., 2011) and the spiritual health scale (Polotzin and Ellison, 1982) were used. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha method. In order to analyze the data, simultaneous regression analysis method was used. The findings indicated that self-compassion and spiritual health were a positive and significant predictor of quality of life and that they were negative and significant regarding the mood of women with breast cancer. In addition, the results indicated that self-compassion dimensions are also a positive and significant predictor of quality of life and that they are a negative and significant predictor of mood. However, from the two dimensions of spiritual health (religious health and existential health), only religious dimension was a predictor of quality of life and mood. Paying attention to self-compassion and spirituality that predicted mood and quality of lifeand their subscales is important in reaserch and therapeutic programs.