The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Immigrants’ Cancer Journeys

Abstract

In the following manuscript-based thesis we explore the role of religion and spirituality in immigrants’ cancer journeys through two interconnected manuscripts. In the introduction to the thesis we provide a broad overview of the literature in cancer-care regarding religion and spirituality to provide a rationale for focusing on immigrants and for using a critical social justice lens. In Manuscript 1, we provide a scoping review of the literature regarding religion and spirituality in immigrants’ cancer journeys. As a result of few studies and limitations found in the scoping review, in Manuscript 2 we report the findings of our interpretive phenomenological study exploring how racialized immigrants with cancer understand their experience though religion and spirituality, using a critical social justice lens. We end with a discussion of implications for counseling psychology practice, education, research methodology, policy, and future research recommendations. In exploring this topic, we hope to contribute to a larger discussion on the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of immigrants with cancer.