Spiritual Perspectives

*Quality of Life - Biopsychosocial Perspectives*

http://www.facenf.uerj.br/v23n2/

[23] Silva A et al. Iniquidades raciais e envelhecimento: Análise da coorte 2010 do Estudo Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (SABE). Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia [online]. 2019;**21**(Suppl 02):e180004. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1980- 549720180004.supl.2 [Accessed: 06 November 2019]. Epub 04 Fev 2019. ISSN: 1980-5497. DOI: 10.1590/1980-

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549720180004.supl.2

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**235**

**1. Introduction**

patient's soul.

**Chapter 12**

Spirituality and Hansen's

History - Part One

well-being is one of multiple dimensions of QOL.

gerotranscendence, life review, Leprosy Prevention Law

*and Aiko Matsushita*

**Abstract**

Disease: Spirituality' Conceptual

There have been suicides at the Hansen's disease sanatoria in the past. What is the level of suffering that makes a person think of suicide? This study is divided into two reports. In the first report, we demonstrate the conceptual structure of spirituality and the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and spirituality, and the history of Hansen's disease. In the second report, based on the first report, we will show spiritual pain and spiritual well-being experienced by Hansen's disease survivors through an analysis of their life reviews. When our daily lives are calm and mundane, we do not notice spirituality. However, when we confront hardships of life, for example, diagnosed with leprosy and isolated in a sanatorium for lifetime, we notice spirituality as an existential distress. On the other hand, the development of individuality and imperturbability by overcoming hardship is spiritual well-being. Spirituality serves as the existential foundation for human existence and is important for the relationship with "something greater than self." Spiritual

**Keywords:** Hansen's disease, spirituality, spiritual pain, suicide, spiritual well-being,

Hansen's disease has been stigmatized from ancient times. Patients were forced to live in sanatoriums for their entire life, and this forced some of them to commit suicide. Although a sanatorium was a medical institution, it had a crematorium, an ossuary, and religious facilities (see **Figures 1**–**4**). Religion was used for saving the

What is the level of suffering or "spiritual pain" that makes a person consider suicide? What causes spiritual pain in those suffering with Hansen's disease? The experiences of Hansen's disease survivors are important to order identify the essence of spiritual pain, which remarkably decreases their QOL. On the other hand, Hansen's disease survivors who had suffered spiritual pain were eventually freed of their

Structure and Hansen's Disease

*Makiko Kondo, Mikako Yamaberi, Hitomi Yamao,* 

*Masato Muguruma, Kayoko Furochi, Shiho Oka* 
