Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ)

Reference: Büssing, A., Balzat HJ, Heusser P: Spiritual needs of patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer -
validation of the spiritual needs questionnaire. Eur J Med Res 2010; 15, 266-273.
Büssing A, Recchia DR, Koenig H, Baumann K, Frick E: Factor Structure of the Spiritual Needs
Questionnaire (SpNQ) in Persons with Chronic Diseases, Elderly and Healthy Individuals. Religions
2018; 9,13 doi:10.3390/rel9010013

Language: German, English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Polish, Danish, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Farsi, Urdu, Croatian,
Lithuanian, Japanese

Contact: Prof. Dr. med. Arndt Büssing, University Witten/Herdecke, Germany; Email: [email protected]

Copyright: Prof. Dr. med. Arndt Büssing, University Witten/Herdecke

Origin: Original instrument.

Website www.spiritualneeds.net

Purpose: For many patients confronted with chronic diseases, spirituality/religiosity is an important resource
for coping. However, patients often report unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs. Caring for these
secondary needs is not only relevant to patients at the end of their life but also to those suffering from
long-term chronic illnesses. One could identify four core dimensions of spiritual needs, i.e.,
Connection, Peace, Meaning/Purpose, and Transcendence, which can be attributed to underlying
psychosocial, emotional, existential, and religious needs.

Population: Can be used in adults with chronic diseases, in elderly living in retirement homes, and health but
stress persons.

Administration:
Rater: Self, telephone or interview-administered; either as a diagnostic tool (for clinical application to
start communication) or as an instrument for research (with defined factors)

Time Required: 5 min. for self administration

Training: none

Scoring: The patients rate whether they currently have the respective needs (yes / no), and how strong
they were to them. To measure the significance of spiritual needs for the individual, the instrument
uses a 4-point scale from disagreement to agreement (0 - not at all; 1 - somewhat; 2 - strong; 3 -
very strong).

Description: The questionnaire can be used either as a diagnostic tool with 27 items (+ 3 free text fields), or as a
20-item research instrument (SpNQ-20) which was tested in persons with chronic diseases and
healthy persons and differentiates 4 main factors, i.e.,

1. Religious (alpha = .87 to .92), i.e., praying for and with others, and by themselves,
participate at a religious ceremony, reading of spiritual/religious books, turn to a higher
presence (i.e. God, angels etc.)

2. Existential (Reflection / Meaning) (alpha = .74 to .82) i.e., dissolve open aspects of your
life, talk with someone about meaning in life / suffering, dissolve open aspects in life, talk
about the possibility of a life after death, forgive someone from a distinct period of your life

3. Inner Peace (alpha =.73 to 82), i.e., wish to dwell at places of quietness and peace, plunge
into the beauty of nature, finding inner peace, talking with other about fears and worries

4. Giving / Generativity (alpha = .71 to .74) addresses the active and autonomous intention to
give solace someone, to pass own life experiences to others, give away something from
yourself, be assured that your life was meaningful and of value
For adolescents we are currently testing a 16 item version with some new items to cover the
topic of relational support and (positive) future perspective (Cronbach´s alpha = .87).
Coverage: Research and Clinical

Reliability: The internal consistency estimates of SpNQ 2.1 range from .74 to .92, and that of version SpNQ-20
from .71 to .87.

Validity: Religious Needs correlate very strong with the SpREUK scale Trust in Higher Guidance (r>.7), and
strongly also with Search for Support / Access and Reflection (Positive Interpretation of Disease).
Both Existential Needs and Giving Needs are moderately correlated with the SpREUK scales, while
needs for Inner Peace were just weakly associated. In patients with chronic pain conditions,
Existential Needs were moderately associated with an escape-avoidance strategy (Escape from
Illness).
Spiritual Needs are just weakly associated with life satisfaction, particularly Giving / Generativity
(which is a factor attributed to the Connection category) was associated with life satisfaction (r = .17;
p = .012), and negatively with patients´ symptom scores (r = -.29; p < .0001), while need for Inner
Peace were weakly associated with patients´ satisfaction with the treatment efficacy (r= .24; p <
.0001). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that anxiety had a significant impact on
cancer patients´ needs for Inner Peace, Existential Needs, and Actively Giving. In patients with
fibromyalgia, particularly Inner Peace needs and Existential Needs correlated with different domains
of reduced mental health, particularly with anxiety, the intention to escape from illness, and
psychosocial restrictions.

Strengths: The instrument avoids exclusive religious terminology and is suited both in secular and also in
religious societies. The needs for Inner Peace, which was of strongest relevance for patients with
chronic pain diseases and cancer, can be interpreted as their intention to return to a peaceful state of
save completeness. The aspect of Giving / Generativity seems to be of outstanding importance too,
because it can be interpreted as patients´ intention to leave the role model of a `passive sufferer´ to
become an active, self-actualizing, giving individual.

Copyrights: “© Arndt Büssing www.spiritualneeds.net permission required to copy or publish”

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Each person has its own and unique point of view. The following statements were mentioned by several
other patients, and they must not necessarily apply to yours.
Please read the statements you will find here carefully and then indicate how true each is for you and
your current situation by circling one number per line. When you do have a respective need (“Yes”),
then indicate how strong it is. Otherwise, circle the “No” option”
Please be as honest and true as possible: There is no `right´ or `wrong´ answer.
If YES,
During the last time, did you have had the Agreement how strong is this need ?
needs … No Yes some- strong very
what strong
N2
To talk with others about your fears and worries? 1 2 3
N3 *
That someone of your religious community (i.e. 1 2 3
pastor) cares for you?
N4
To reflect back on your life? 1 2 3
N5
To dissolve / clarify open aspects of your life? 1 2 3
N6
To plunge into beauty of nature? 1 2 3
N7
To dwell at a place of quietness and peace? 1 2 3
N8
To find inner peace? 1 2 3
N10
To find meaning in illness and/or suffering? 1 2 3
N11
To talk with someone about the question of 1 2 3
meaning in life?
N12
To talk with someone about the possibility of life 1 2 3
after death?
N13
To turn to someone in a loving attitude? 1 2 3
N14
To give away something from yourself? 1 2 3
N15
To give solace to someone? 1 2 3
N16
To forgive someone from a distinct period of your 1 2 3
life?
N17
To be forgiven? 1 2 3
N18
To pray with someone? 1 2 3
N19
That someone prays for you? 1 2 3
N20
To pray for yourself? 1 2 3
N21
To participate at a religious ceremony (i.e. 1 2 3
service)?
N22
To read religious / spiritual books? 1 2 3
N23
To turn to a higher presence (i.e., God, Allah, 1 2 3
Angels, Saints)?
N25*
To feel connected with family? 1 2 3
N26
To pass own life experiences to others? 1 2 3
N27
To be assured that your life was meaningful and of 1 2 3
value?
N28*
To be re-involved by your family in their life 1 2 3
concerns?
N30*
To receive more support from your family? 1 2 3
In case you have further specific needs you would like to let us know:
X1
1 2 3
X2
1 2 3
X3
1 2 3
SpNQ © Arndt Büssing www.spiritualneeds.net permission required to copy or publish (Email: [email protected])

* Optional items to be used in elderly living in residential (nursing) homes etc.