Death, Dying & Bereavement

Question 1

Describe the trend in chronic illness

Answer 1

Improvements in treatments and healthcare have resulted in more people living with long-term conditions

Question 2

How does the trend/changes in chronic illness affect healthcare

Answer 2

Presents challenges to HCP: shifting focus from cure to symptom management

Question 3

What are the challenges with chronic illness

Answer 3

Adjusting to symptoms and disability
Maintaining a reasonable emotional balance
Preserving a satisfactory self-image and sense of competence
Learning about symptoms, treatment procedures and self-management
Sustaining relationships with family and friends
Forming and maintaining relationships with healthcare providers
Preparing for an uncertain future

Question 4

Describe the Self Regulatory Model (Leventhal, 1993)

Answer 4

Stage 1 - interpretation
Stage 2 - Coping
Stage 3 - Appraisal

Question 5

Describe positive adaptions and benefit finding and give an example

Answer 5

Considering psychological adaptation on a spectrum
Some patients report positive changes and even growth
Growth is associated with less distress in the short-term and better physical and mental health overall

60-90% of people with HIV or cancer report positive growth (Sawyer et al., 2010; Shand et al., 2015)

Question 6

Describe illness as a story

Answer 6

The events surrounding chronic illness, positive and negative changes, become part of people’s story

Question 7

Define narrative based medicine

Answer 7

emphasis is on listening to people’s narratives and using these to improve clinical care

Question 8

What are the effects of illness narratives

Answer 8

Transform events and construct meaning from the illness
Help people to reconstruct their Hx to incorporate the illness and reconstruct their identity to retain a sense of self-worth in the face of illness
Help people explain and understand their illness
Relate the illness to their values and life priorities
Make illness a collective experience

Question 9

Describe palliative care

Answer 9

Founded on providing terminally ill people with compassionate care
Addressing medical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of dying
Relieving/managing symptoms (e.g. pain, breathlessness) rather than curing disease

Question 10

What are the 5 reactions to dying

Answer 10

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance