Psychosocial Issues Near the End of Life: A Resource for Professional Care ProvidersJames L. Werth, Dean Blevins Although numerous books have been written on the physical and practical aspects of providing services to people who are dying, relatively little has been written on the psychological, spiritual, and interpersonal issues that arise. Until now, psychologists and mental health professionals who work with the dying and their loved ones have had no resource to guide them toward empirically supported practices that can improve quality of life. This book fills that gap. Improving quality of care requires an interdisciplinary approach, and the contributors to this volume bring multiple perspectives to bear on the topic. Chapter authors from both research and clinical perspectives cover how the end-of-life environment has changed over time; the kinds of decisions that need to be made; the role of psychologists in end-of-life care; cross-cultural considerations; assessment; legal issues; practical caregiving; misinformation about depression and hopelessness; and the respective roles of caregivers and hospices. The final chapter by the editors lays out a blueprint for future research, care, education and policy. in ensuring that end-of-life care balances physical care with psychosocial and spiritual care. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
The Effects of Culture in EndofLife Situations | 27 |
Ethical Considerations in Providing Psychological | 57 |
Copyright | |
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adjustment disorder advance care planning advance directives Alzheimer's disease American Medical Association American Psychological American Psychological Association anxiety assessment Assisted Suicide Behavioral bereavement Blevins Breitbart Bruera cancer cancer patients chap chapter Chochinov client clinical clinicians cognitive context coping cultural delirium dementia depression discussion disease disorders Ditto dying patient dying person dying process effective Emanuel end-of-life care end-of-life decision end-of-life issues ethical experience factors family caregivers family members focus Gerontologist Group on Assisted Haley hastened death hopelessness hospice care important improve interventions Kaut Kleespies life-sustaining treatment living Medicare ment mental health Neimeyer nursing of-life pain palliative care Palliative Medicine Papadatou patient and family perspective physical physicians predictions professional programs psychiatric psychologists psychosocial issues psychotherapy role Rosenfeld social spiritual Steinhauser substituted judgment surrogate decision symptoms terminal sedation terminally ill terminally ill patients therapy tion treatment preferences Werth