How parents of children receiving pediatric palliative care use religion, spirituality, or life philosophy in tough times.

Background: How parents of children with life threatening conditions draw upon religion, spirituality, or life philosophy is not empirically well described.

Methods: Participants were parents of children who had enrolled in a prospective cohort study on parental decision-making for children receiving pediatric palliative care. Sixty-four (88%) of the 73 parents interviewed were asked an open-ended question on how religion, spirituality, or life philosophy (RSLP) was helpful in difficult times.