Assessment of the spiritual needs of people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and their caregivers

CONTEXT: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder which poses multidimensional burden to patients and caregivers.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate spiritual needs in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (pALS) and their closest caregivers, and to identify factors which may contribute to these needs.

METHODS: Spiritual needs were assessed based on the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) as part of a longitudinal cohort study in pALS and their closest caregivers who were included in a multiprofessional pilot project for ALS in Southern Germany with a focus on neuropalliative care.

RESULTS: 61 pALS and 52 caregivers were assessed for their spiritual needs. We show that both pALS and their caregivers maintain stable and distinct spiritual needs over time, irrespective of age, gender, care setting, or perceived level of loneliness. While pALS emphasize generativity and inner peace needs, caregivers primarily focus on finding inner peace, which they value even more than pALS.

CONCLUSIONS: Both pALS and their caregivers have strong unmet spiritual, and particularly non-religious needs, which should be regularly assessed by the interprofessional team. Documenting these needs is the initial step in the spiritual care process, which requires a collaborative response from the interprofessional team. All healthcare professionals involved in ALS care should be attuned to the potential for unmet spiritual needs in patients and their caregivers. Early identification of these needs can facilitate the initiation of appropriate support processes.