Alleviating psychological and spiritual pain

Question 1

what are the key elements of total pain?

Answer 1

1. physical pain
2. mental anguish
3. spiritual suffering
4. emotional distress

Question 2

what type of pain tends to make physical pain much worse?

Answer 2

spiritual

Question 3

what are the four major predictors for suffering?

Answer 3

1. regret of past events
2. current marital problems
3. little social support
4. pessimistic attitude

Question 4

according to EJ Cassell, when does suffering occur? how long does it persist?

Answer 4

1. occurs when a threat to the integrity of the person is perceived
2. persists until the threat has passed or until integrity of the person can be reestablished in some manner

Question 5

what are the goals of serious illness?

Answer 5

1. control pain and other distressing symptoms
2. alleviate psychosocial problems
3. communicate effectively
4. provide empathetic presence
5. foster realistic hope

Question 6

what is the FICA model of spiritual assessment?

Answer 6

Faith
Importance
Community
Address / action in care

Question 7

what are the important responses to suffering for health care professionals?

Answer 7

1. self-assessment
2. self-reflection
3. self-care (resilience)

Question 8

what is the value of self-assessment in response to suffering for a health care provider?

Answer 8

helps to avoid believing that s/he knows anything about how someone else has suffered