Introduction

Stress accompanies humans at various stages of life, especially in difficult situations. Chronic illness is a long-term stressor, requiring constant adaptation and coping with its consequences. In such a context, religion and spirituality play an important role as a source of support and solace. Turning to religion can therefore be an effective tool for reducing the stress of illness. The purpose of this study was to report on religiosity and the severity of stress in patients with chronic illness.

Material and methods

Diagnostic survey method. Tools used: the Polish version of the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) and the distress thermometer by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. A total of 188 people participated in the study. The average age of all patients was 28.2 years. The most common conditions in the subjects were thyroid and metabolic disorders (20.7%), depression (12.2%), and diabetes (11.2%).

Results

The degree of religiosity of the subjects was higher than average. Married people and the elderly showed higher levels of religiosity. The respondents had higher than average levels of stress. It was shown that respondents with higher education had statistically significantly lower stress intensity. The main stressors indicated by respondents were work/school, physical problems (fatigue), and emotional problems (irritation, worry). Significantly higher religiosity was manifested by patients with autoimmune diseases/allergies and hypertension, and the lowest by patients with depression.

Conclusions

The study allowed us to gain information on religiosity and severity of stress in patients with chronic diseases. It should be noted that the more religious the respondents were, the less stressed they were, and the less religious they were, the higher stress intensity that accompanied them. Turning to religiosity as a strategy for coping with stress has significant benefits.