Level of Spiritual Attitude and Involvement among Stroke Survivors: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

Background: Spirituality has been widely acknowledged as an important factor in helping individuals cope with long-term illness. For stroke survivors, spiritual beliefs, meaningful activities, and inner reflection often contribute to improved emotional balance, acceptance, and overall well-being. Earlier studies have shown that spirituality can enhance hope, strengthen coping abilities, and provide a sense of purpose during rehabilitation. Considering this, understanding how stroke survivors experience spiritual attitudes and spiritual involvement is essential for supporting holistic recovery. Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of spiritual attitude and involvement among stroke survivors and to examine how these aspects are associated with their sociodemographic characteristics. Method: The study used a cross-sectional quantitative design and convenience sampling technique applied to conduct face to face survey. Data were collected from 110 stroke survivors who received rehabilitation services. A structured sociodemographic and the standardised questionnaire Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL) were used as measurement tools. The data was analyzed using the SPSS 20 version for analysis. Results: The findings shows that the majority of participants were male (74.5%), with a median age of 50 years. Among all spiritual domains, connectedness with nature showed the highest mean score (M = 5.48, SD = ±0.53), followed by acceptance (M = 4.87, SD = ±0.63) and caring for Others (M = 4.55, SD = ±0.57). Transcendent Experiences presented the lowest mean (M=3.03, SD=±0.71). Significant associations were observed between connectedness with nature and age (P = .012), dependency level (P = .001), religion (p = .003), and living area (P = .015). Acceptance and caring for others were also linked with dependency level and marital status, while spiritual activities were associated with treatment duration (P = .012). Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that stroke survivors primarily express spirituality through nature connection, emotional acceptance, caring for others, and regular spiritual activities, whereas deeper transcendental experiences appear less common. It may therefore be concluded that incorporating spiritual components into rehabilitation programs could play a valuable role in enhancing coping, emotional resilience, and overall quality of life among stroke survivors. Key Words: Spirituality, Occupational Therapy, Stroke survivor