Death Studies最新文献

Caring for someone with a life-limiting illness is associated with complex psychosocial sequelae; amplified for carers experiencing structural vulnerability. Workers across sectors of health and social care provide support for vulnerably positioned carers, yet exploration of the impacts of this work has predominantly focused on health professionals directly engaged with death and dying. This qualitative study explored ways in which palliative care and welfare workers experience work with current and bereaved carers of people with life-limiting illness, in a region associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. Work in this landscape involved: (1) navigation of evocative content, (2) encountering limits of grief literacy, (3) negotiating effects of policy constraints, (4) meaning-making for system survival, and (5) varied utilization of resources and strategies. Findings indicate the need for cross-sectoral recognition of consequences of this work, reflected through initiatives to cultivate grief literacy, acknowledgement of harmful consequences of policy, and structural approaches to workforce well-being.

Little is known about experiences of physicians when deciding on initiating life support during medical crises of mass casualties and undersupply. We performed a qualitative analysis of interviews with 14 physicians about their decision-making experience when considering initiating mechanical ventilation in patients with severe COVID-19 during the early pandemic. Three themes were revealed: (a) The accumulating clinical experience with invasive ventilation, and the physicians' perception of ventilation as effective or futile in these patients; (b) Preferences of patients and their families regarding mechanical ventilation; and (c) Economic, logistic, and organizational considerations of the undersupplied healthcare system. The circumstances under which end-of-life decisions were made often caused moral injury to physicians, in particular when their personal ethical standpoints were not integrated in the decision-making process. Our findings explore the moral injury suffered by physicians and may help identify strategies to mitigate moral injury of healthcare staff in times of medical crisis.

The suicide of students on university campuses has significant impacts for students and staff. South African universities are not excluded from this impact. This study aimed to identify best-practice recommendations for a suicide postvention intervention programme at a South African university. In a single-round consensus study, suicide-bereaved students (N = 25) and staff (N = 21) at the university rated 126 statements in an online questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale from "essential" to "should not be included." Agreement between the two groups was significant regarding the most highly rated statements. The most highly rated statements for both groups generated six core themes: providing culturally competent and religiously sensitive support to bereaved families; respecting family's wishes while meeting the university's needs; connecting students to available support; staff training needs; clear procedural guidance for staff and mourning and remembering the deceased student.

During the early waves of COVID-19, many patients had to be isolated, with some dying alone in hospitals. Understanding the psychological impact of isolation during a potentially life-threatening disease and identifying coping mechanisms can inform future care protocols. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of COVID-19 survivors isolated in hospitals. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals who experienced hospital isolation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological method. We identified three main themes: (a) the experience of isolation and proximity to death, leading to suffering, loneliness, or sometimes a positive sense of solitude; (b) coping strategies, with some being ineffective (e.g., distraction) and others effective (e.g., acceptance, family contact); and (c) isolation as a catalyst for change, resulting in either lasting sadness or personal growth and reappraisal of life priorities. Health professionals play a crucial role in helping isolated patients manage their experience, minimizing negative effects, and fostering personal growth.

This study examines the vital but underexplored role of self-healing in postvention efforts for suicide loss survivors (SLS) in Indonesia. We investigate the perspectives of Indonesian SLS and grief support providers (GSP) on self-healing's role in managing grief. Through in-depth interviews with 31 participants (16 SLS and 15 GSP), reflexive thematic analysis reveals both shared and divergent views. Our study developed three main themes: (1) Redefining self-healing, (2) Disconnectedness following loss, and (3) Reestablishing connection. The first theme shows both groups viewing self-healing as an intentional and dynamic process of confronting pain, and the latter themes highlight its role in restoring connections disrupted by suicide loss-spanning self, social, and spiritual dimensions. The findings offer practical implications for mental health professionals, policymakers, and support networks, promoting a more compassionate approach to post-suicide grief in Indonesia.

This study explores the phenomenon of memorial stickers commemorating victims of the October 7, 2023, massacre and subsequent Israel-Hamas war. Analyzing 600 stickers collected across Israel, we examine how these artifacts shape personal and collective memory of these tragic events. Using content analysis, visual data analysis, and ethnography of texts, we investigate the stickers' distribution, textual content, and visual elements. Three key findings emerged: (1) The widespread distribution of stickers expands commemoration beyond cemeteries, creating a larger community of remembrance; (2) Diverse textual content, from personal traits to universal messages, aims to keep the deceased's values alive in social awareness; (3) Visual elements balance public recognition with private mourning through strategic use of photographs, colors, and barcodes. Drawing on theories of collective memory and continuing bonds, we argue that these stickers symbolically bring the deceased into daily life and public spaces, contributing to the processing of personal and national trauma.

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a method of data collection that entails prompting individuals to report their experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) in real time over the course of their day-to-day lives. By providing rich information about how these experiences unfold over time within an individual, EMA has the potential to substantially advance our understanding of grief. However, there is uncertainty about how bereaved adults will respond to EMA, especially among those with high prolonged grief symptom severity. Accordingly, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an EMA protocol in bereaved adults with low and high prolonged grief severity. Participants completed six 12-item EMA surveys per day on their smartphones for 17 days. Adherence was high (mean survey completion = 90%, median = 96%), and only 6% of participants withdrew. Adherence remained high in those with high prolonged grief symptom severity (mean = 86%; median = 96%). On average, participants reported agreement that survey frequency and length were acceptable. There was no evidence for systematic worsening of symptoms during EMA data collection. Together, these findings suggest that EMA is feasible, acceptable, and safe for bereaved adults, including those with high prolonged grief symptom severity.

The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach to death education, incorporating ideas from anthropology, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines to develop a holistic approach. The paper offers a theoretical framework for comprehending mortality by looking at existential viewpoints, lived experiences, and the social construction of death. Experiential learning, reflective practice, and dialogue are some of the pedagogical techniques that are covered in order to provide a deeper comprehension of the cultural and ethical aspects of death. The paper also discusses sociocultural contexts, focusing on social injustices and cultural variations in death education. Strategies for a multidisciplinary approach's practical application are suggested. This approach equips teachers and students to deal with the complexity of dying and death in diverse contexts.

This article explores the role of end-of-life conversations between palliative home-care patients and their relatives in shaping the bereavement process. Through interviews with 17 bereaved relatives, four distinct modes of contingency were identified: denial, acknowledgment, accepting, and receiving. While some individuals remained in a single mode, others transitioned through all four, suggesting a deeply personal process independent of external influences. The findings underscore the importance of healthcare providers facilitating these conversations, as they can help relatives process emotions and support their grieving. By addressing these modes, caregivers can aid relatives in becoming compassionate advocates for patients nearing death. The study highlights the need for further research into strategies for supporting relatives in navigating these modes, potentially enhancing bereavement care practices.

End-of-life care options in Australia, recently including Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD), are available to people in prison. Little is known about how the public perceives this right. We aimed to identify the attitudes of the public by conducting a qualitative content analysis of comments across four Australian online news media outlets discussing the first case of a person in prison being granted VAD (a sexual offender). From 434 comments, we identified four overarching categories: not punished enough; unsupportive of VAD; approving of VAD; and negative characteristics of VAD recipient and other stakeholders involved. Most comments were punitive, highlighting the opinion that VAD was escaping punishment and reflected a tension between the rights of the individual versus the perceived rights of the community. We highlight the risks these attitudes can pose in terms of providing end-of-life care to people in prisons.