Creating the space for spiritual talk : insights from survivors of haematological malignancies

The findings presented in this article are from a recently established research program that aims to make a contribution to health care by using qualitative methodologies to deepen our understanding of the notion of spirituality and to document appropriate ways of responding to the spiritual issues experienced by those coping with serious illness. The discussion focuses predominantly on the insights provided by survivors of haematological malignancies about factors impacting on their need to talk about spitirual issues. The aim of presenting the findings is to highlight the importance of providing the opportunity for patients to talk about spiritual issues and to provide health and allied health professionals with insights on how to deal with this aspect of patient care. The insights provided by the participants go a substantial way in outlining the who, what, where and when of providing supportive communication on spiritual issues.