Neglecting spiritual needs can lead to which outcome?

• A. Increased distress
• B. Nonadherence
• C. Erosion of trust
• D. Longer hospital stay

Answer: (C)

When spiritual needs are not attended to, the trust patients place in their care team can deteriorate. Spiritual beliefs and values help people make meaning of illness, cope with stress, and engage in decisions about treatment. If these needs feel ignored or dismissed, patients may worry that clinicians don’t understand or respect them, which undermines confidence in the care they’re receiving. That erosion of trust makes it harder to collaborate, follow recommendations, or feel hopeful about the care plan.

Other outcomes can occur—like more distress or difficulties with adherence—but they often arise as downstream effects of losing trust. A longer hospital stay isn’t an automatic result and varies with many factors, whereas erosion of trust directly reflects the patient–provider relationship when spiritual needs aren’t acknowledged.