Introduction: Cancer in a family member can be a major source of psychological disorders, especially for the parents of children who are diagnosed with this disease. In recent years, the concept of intelligence has not only been considered as a cognitive power but also extended to other areas such as spiritual intelligence. This study aims to determine the correlation between spiritual intelligence and depression in parents of children who are suffering from cancer. Research Methodology: This study has been based on both descriptive and correlational research. The research was carried out on community of parents whose children were suffering from cancer in the department of oncology and outpatient clinics within hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2017. In doing so, data from 156 parents were selected based on inclusion criteria, by available sampling method. Two questionnaires were used to collect data; the Spiritual Intelligence, and Beck Depression Inventory. All data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and T test (SPSS version 21). Results: The results showed the level of depression with an average of 17/84 ±8/11 for mothers, and 12/96 ±8/20 for fathers and the level of spiritual intelligence with an average of 57/55 ±13/09 for mothers, and 55/25 ±12/37 for fathers. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant negative relationship between spiritual intelligence and depression in both parents (P<0/01, r=-0/616(mothers) and P<0/01, r=-0/517(fathers)). Results from regression analysis also showed that spiritual intelligence can significantly explain the depression.Conclusion: The negative and significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and depression signifies that more attention is needed to promote and develop spiritual capacities in psychological damages reduction programs, especially depression.
