Omega via MedWorm.com MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Omega' source. Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:06:12 +0100 Parental grief after a child's drug death compared to other death causes: investigating a greatly neglected bereavement population. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5343690&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22010370%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Feigelman W, Jordan JR, Gorman BS Abstract This comparative survey contrasted 571 parents who lost children to various death causes: 48 to drug-related deaths and overdoses, 462 to suicide, 24 to natural death cases, and 37 to mostly accidental death cases. Groups were compared in terms of grief difficulties, mental health problems, posttraumatic stress, and stigmatization. Results did not show any appreciable differences in these respects between the suicide bereaved parents and those losing children to drug-related deaths. However, when the suicide and drug-related death survivors were specifically contrasted against accidental and natural death loss cases, a consistent pattern emerged showing the former group was consistently more troubled by grief and mental health pro... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5343690 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:03 +0100 5343690 Psychologists' experiences of grief after client suicide: a qualitative study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5343689&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22010371%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Darden AJ, Rutter PA Abstract Six clinical psychologists were interviewed regarding their experiences with client suicide. Interviewee's responses offered the following insights: (a) all their experiences met the criteria for prolonged grief; (b) the respective work settings significantly influenced the clinician's recovery process; and (c) male clinicians (in contrast to female respondents) reported no personal impact from the client's suicide. Finally and surprisingly, all participating psychologists did not question their clinical skills after the suicide, citing rather their understanding of the client's choice to suicide being outside of their control. Implications for clinical training, practice, and research are addressed. PMID: 22010371 [PubMed - in process] (S... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5343689 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:03 +0100 5343689 Indicators of family resilience after the death of a child. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5343688&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22010372%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Greeff AP, Vansteenwegen A, Herbiest T Abstract The aim of this study was to identify and describe resilience qualities in families after losing a child. Questionnaires, including an open-ended question, were utilized to collect data independently from the parents and siblings of the deceased in 89 Belgian families. The results indicate that family strengths in general, and commitment to the family in particular, helped the families' adaptation after the loss. In addition, the adaptation process after the loss was aided if the family members viewed the crisis as a challenge. Both the siblings and the parents indicated that the extent to which a family experienced support from the community was directly related to family adaptation after the loss. Redefining the situation a... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5343688 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:03 +0100 5343688 Gardens of stone: searching for evidence of secularization and acceptance of death in grave inscriptions from 1900-2009. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5343687&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22010373%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, 1,214 grave inscriptions (N = 1,214) dated 1900 to 2009 were examined for evidence of secularization and changes in attitude toward death. Using set criteria, the researchers categorized grave inscriptions in terms of language used (sacred/secular) and acceptance of death (acceptance/other). Binary logistic regression models revealed significantly more use of sacred language and significantly less acceptance of death over the past 110 years. Findings from these analyses suggest that: (a) secularization may not be as pervasive as thought, particularly with respect to death; and (b) as death has become increasingly medicalized and marginalized, society has grown less accepting of the finitude of life. These findings are further discussed in light of the continued evolution of ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5343687 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:03 +0100 5343687 Teaching about near-death experiences: the effectiveness of using The Day I Died. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5343686&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22010374%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holden JM, Oden K, Kozlowski K, Hayslip B Abstract In this article, we reviewed results of research on near-death experiences (NDEs) over the past 3 decades and examined the effect of viewing the hour-long 2002 BBC documentary The Day I Died: The Mind, the Brain, and Near-Death Experiences on accurate knowledge about near-death experiences among advanced undergraduates at a southwestern university. In a quasi-experimental research design, the experimental group completed a 20-item questionnaire before and after viewing the documentary (n = 66; 45 females, 21 males), and the waitlist control group completed the questionnaire as pre- and posttest before viewing the documentary (n = 39; 36 female, 3 male). The two groups' scores at pretest were not significantly different (p ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5343686 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:20:03 +0100 5343686 Bereavement and depression: possible changes to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: a report from the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244891&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21928596%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Balk DE, Noppe I, Sandler I, Werth J Abstract The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) is being revised. A proposed revision hotly debated is to remove what is known as the exclusionary criterion and allow clinicians to diagnose a person with a major depressive episode within the early days and weeks following a death. The Executive Committee of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) commissioned its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to examine the debate over removing the exclusionary criterion and provide a written report. The DSM-IV-TR classifies bereavement as a clinical condition that is not a mental disorder. The exclusionary criterion states that within the first 2 months of the onset of bereave... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244891 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:16:01 +0100 5244891 The continued lived experience of the unexpected death of a child. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244890&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21928597%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Parker BS, Dunn KS Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to further examine the lived experiences of families that faced the sudden loss of a child. Six mothers that had previously participated approximately 9 years ago in the study entitled "The Lived Experience of the Unexpected Death of a Child" were interviewed. All of the mothers were Caucasian and had achieved a high school or greater level of education. Taped interviews and field notes were transcribed for data display. Together, two raters completed data reduction and coding for theme identification and categorization. Six themes were revealed that described helpful coping behaviors used by the mothers: positive beliefs, faith beliefs, everlasting love, pleasant remembrances, social engagement, and sta... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244890 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:16:01 +0100 5244890 Qualitative psychological autopsy interviews on suicide in post-conflict Northern Uganda: the participants' perceptions. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244889&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21928598%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kizza D, Hjelmeland H, Kinyanda E, Knizek BL Abstract Participants' perceptions of psychological autopsy interviews were investigated in post-conflict Northern Uganda. Data were derived out of their responses in the debriefing session after the formal interviews. These responses were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The majority of the participants were positive about the interview as reflected in the two broad themes: positivation of the situation through the possibility of helping others and opportunity for personal development through sharing. To some few participants the interview aroused guilt, self-reproach, and anger and reactivated painful memories. As regards suicide postvention, the findings implied that not much has been done to help ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244889 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:16:01 +0100 5244889 Religious beliefs along the suicidal path in northern Taiwan. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244888&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21928599%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to understand the current inclinations toward depression and compulsion for members of four different religious groups, and to predict religious beliefs along the suicide path through analyzing the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts for members of these religious groups. Participants in this cross-sectional study, which adopted purposive sampling, were members of Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism in northern Taiwan. In the case of suicide experiences, suicides among people one knows, and tendency toward compulsion and depression, there are statistical differences between the four religions. According to the results, some people with suicidal tendency will attend religious activities; therefore, we predict that religious beliefs play... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244888 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:16:01 +0100 5244888 Growing up with grief: revisiting the death of a parent over the life course. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5244887&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21928600%26dopt%3DAbstract This article argues the emotional experience of grief shifts: 1) as children grapple with both normative life changes and the tasks of mourning, and 2) as their cognitive and emotional development allow them to understand and question aspects of their deceased parent's life and death in new ways. This article will present an overview of longitudinal and cross-sectional research on the long-term impact of childhood grief. We then suggest the ways bereaved children and adolescents revisit and reintegrate the loss of a parent as their emotional, moral, and cognitive capacities mature and as normative ego-centrism and magical thinking decline. To demonstrate these ideas, we draw on the case of a parentally bereaved boy and his family presenting across agency-based and private-practice work ove... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5244887 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:16:01 +0100 5244887 The organization of thanatology. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140761&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21842661%26dopt%3DAbstract This article explores, using Wilensky's Model of Professionalization, the emergence of professional organizations within the thanatology. The authors review the history of four organizations--The Foundation of Thanatology, Ars Moriendi, The Forum for Death Education and Counseling (now the Association for Death Education and Counseling: A Thanatology Organization [ADEC]), and The International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement (IWG). The authors speculate on some of the reasons that the first two failed while IWG and ADEC remain viable-while noting challenges that these remaining thanatological organizations will experience as they seek to continue to stay relevant. PMID: 21842661 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140761 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0100 5140761 Relationship to the bereaved and perceptions of severity of trauma differentiate elements of posttraumatic growth. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140760&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21842662%26dopt%3DAbstract This study sought to examine the effect of the relationship to the deceased and perceptions of the severity of the trauma on dimensions of posttraumatic growth. Participants were 146 people who had lost either: a) a first degree relative, b) a second degree relative, or c) a non-related friend. Results demonstrated that both severity and the relationship to the bereaved differentiate posttraumatic growth outcomes. For example, participants who had lost a first degree relative reported higher levels of growth than those who had lost a second degree relative. Consistent with previous research in general trauma populations, the more severe the loss was rated, the higher the levels of growth. Implications for practice are discussed. PMID: 21842662 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140760 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0100 5140760 Coping with the ultimate deprivation: narrative themes in a parental bereavement support group. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140759&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21842663%26dopt%3DAbstract This study uncovers narrative themes that were expressed during a series of support group meetings specific to bereaved parents. Three central narratives were revealed in the analysis including the death story narrative, coping/negotiating narrative, and connecting through communication with others narrative. This research underscores the vital outlet that the support group serves for participants and the communicative means by which subjective healing can occur. PMID: 21842663 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140759 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0100 5140759 Surviving grief: An analysis of the exchange of hope in online grief communities. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140758&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21842664%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Swartwood RM, Veach PM, Kuhne J, Lee HK, Ji K Abstract Online grief communities represent relatively new forms of peer support. However, the degree to which they are helpful for individual grieving processes is unknown. To date, no research has evaluated the type or quality of support exchanged in online grief communities. To begin to address these questions, this study analyzed 564 messages from internet grief websites to: (1) classify the type of helping skills used, and (2) extract themes contained in the content of the messages. Messages selected for analysis were the first response to an original post, assuming they would be the first effort to provide support to a grieving individual. Results revealed a majority of responses contained self-disclosure. Themes in the m... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140758 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0100 5140758 Perinatal loss and parental grief: the challenge of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140757&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21842665%26dopt%3DAbstract This study uncovers the many sources of ambiguity and disenfranchised grief that bereaved couples face in interactions with family, friends, society, and healthcare professionals. These insights may inform healthcare professionals in their attempts to ease distress related to perinatal loss. PMID: 21842665 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140757 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:02 +0100 5140757 Racial differences in end-of-life planning: why don't Blacks and Latinos prepare for the inevitable?. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5049271&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21748919%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carr D I evaluate the extent to which ethnic disparities in advance care planning reflect cultural and religious attitudes and experience with the painful deaths of loved ones. Data are from a sample of 293 chronically ill older adults who are seeking care at one of two large medical centers in urban New Jersey. Blacks and Hispanics are significantly less likely than Whites to have a living will, a durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC), and to have discussed their end of life treatment preferences. Multivariate analyses reveal that the Black-White gap in advance care planning is largely accounted for by Blacks' belief that God controls the timing and nature of death. The Hispanic-White gap is partially accounted for by the belief that one's illness negatively affec... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5049271 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:22 +0100 5049271 A space for mothers: grief as identity construction on memorial websites created by SIDS parents. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5049268&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21748920%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Finlay CJ, Krueger G In this article we conduct a textual analysis of memorial websites created by mothers who have experienced a loss due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Using an online Internet ethnographic approach, we reviewed a series of 20 sites in an attempt to analyze the motivations of the site creators as manifested in their online projects. We spent time on the sites, moving through all facets of them, following links, and experiencing them the way a visitor would encounter them. In this virtual exploration we uncovered personal narratives, community building, religious imagery, and numerous examples of social networking. We also analyzed guest books in order to understand who visits these sites and their reasons for doing so. We conclude that development of... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5049268 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:22 +0100 5049268 The spiritual framework of coping through the voices of cancer survivor narratives. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5049265&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21748921%26dopt%3DAbstract This study has limitations due to its qualitative nature and small sample size. PMID: 21748921 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5049265 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:22 +0100 5049265 The characteristics of those who do and do not leave suicide notes: is the method of residuals valid? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5049263&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21748922%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Haines J, Williams CL, Lester D Examination of 1,051 completed suicides from an Australian state showed that 33% left a suicide note. Those leaving a suicide note were more involved in interpersonal conflicts (including divorce), were less often psychiatrically disturbed, and were less likely to be under medical supervision. The large number of differences suggests that it may not be possible to learn about suicide in general from a study of suicide notes alone. PMID: 21748922 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5049263 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:22 +0100 5049263 McDonaldization, Islamic teachings, and funerary practices in Kuwait. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5049260&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21748923%26dopt%3DAbstract This article examines Islamic teachings on burial and how that model has been applied to the traditional Muslim funerary services, including cemetery management, grave excavation, funeral prayers, burial, and condolences, to make them more efficient vis-a-vis more profitable. Based on personal observations and random interviews, the study finds that the state bureaucracy in Kuwait has made burial rituals more efficient, standardized, calculable, and controlled. Furthermore, several associated irrationalities are also considered. Findings suggest that some individuals may not be happy with these changes but there is no popular resistance to McDonaldization of the burial practices, probably due to the authoritarian and welfare nature of the State of Kuwait. PMID: 21748923 [PubMed - in pr... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5049260 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:30:22 +0100 5049260 The dual process model of coping with bereavement: a decade later. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152387&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058609%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Richardson VE PMID: 21058609 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152387 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152387 The dual process model of coping with bereavement: a decade on. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152386&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058610%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stroebe M, Schut H The Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (DPM; Stroebe & Schut, 1999) is described in this article. The rationale is given as to why this model was deemed necessary and how it was designed to overcome limitations of earlier models of adaptive coping with loss. Although building on earlier theoretical formulations, it contrasts with other models along a number of dimensions which are outlined. In addition to describing the basic parameters of the DPM, theoretical and empirical developments that have taken place since the original publication of the model are summarized. Guidelines for future research are given focusing on principles that should be followed to put the model to stringent empirical test. PMID: 21058610 [PubMed - in process] (Sou... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152386 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152386 Experiences and early coping of bereaved spouses/partners in an intervention based on the dual process model (dpm). http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152385&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058611%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was designed to test the effectiveness of the Dual Process Model (DPM) of coping with bereavement. The sample consisted of 298 recently widowed women (61%) and men age 50+ who participated in 14 weekly intervention sessions and also completed before (O1) and after (O2) self-administered questionnaires. While the study also includes two additional follow-up assessments (O3 and O4) that cover up to 14-16 months bereaved, this article examines only O1 and O2 assessments. Based on random assignment, 128 persons attended traditional grief groups that focused on loss-orientation (LO) in the model and 170 persons participated in groups receiving both the LO and restoration-orientation (RO) coping (learning daily life skills). As expected, participants in DPM groups showed slightly high... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152385 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152385 Loss and restoration in later life: an examination of dual process model of coping with bereavement. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152384&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058612%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bennett KM, Gibbons K, Mackenzie-Smith S The Dual Process Model (DPM) of Coping with Bereavement identified two oscillating coping processes, loss and restoration (Stroebe & Schut, 1999). The utility of the model is investigated in two studies. In the first, we carried out secondary analyses on a large-scale qualitative study that we had conducted previously. In the second, we conducted a small-scale study specifically examining the DPM. In the first study we re-examined the interviews for Loss- (LO) and Restoration-Oriented (RO) Coping and examined whether these were associated with psychological adjustment. The results showed that those adjusting well reported the stressors New Roles/Identities/ Relationships and Intrusion of Grief significantly more. Those adjusting les... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152384 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152384 Length of caregiving and well-being among older widowers: implications for the dual process model of bereavement. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152383&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058613%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Richardson VE The intent of this study was to examine if length of caregiving was associated with older widowers' adjustment to bereavement and to identify factors, based on principles underlying the Dual Process Model of Bereavement, that might mitigate the potential adverse effects of time spent caring. Two-hundred men over the age of 60 and in the second year of bereavement were identified from death records of older women who had died within a 12-month period. Interviews lasted about 2 hours and focused on widowers' experiences surrounding their wives' deaths along with questions about social support, health, retirement, and other demographic information. The Bradburn Affect Scale was used to measure positive and negative affect. Restoration-oriented coping, such as starti... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152383 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152383 Exploring the role of experiential avoidance from the perspective of attachment theory and the dual process model. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152382&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058614%26dopt%3DAbstract This article explores the concept of experiential avoidance as it applies to bereavement, including when it is adaptive when it is problematic. Adaptive avoidance is framed using an attachment theory perspective and incorporates insights from the dual process model (DPM). An approach to clinical management of experiential avoidance in the syndrome of complicated grief is included. PMID: 21058614 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152382 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152382 New perspectives on the Dual Process Model (DPM): what have we learned? What questions remain? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152381&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21058615%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Carr D PMID: 21058615 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152381 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:45:03 +0100 4152381 Sampling, recruitment, and retention in a bereavement intervention study: experiences from the Living After Loss Project. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4026226&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20873532%26dopt%3DAbstract This article reports on the sampling and recruitment challenges, as well as the strategies used to address them in the Living After Loss (LAL) project, a bereavement intervention study conducted in Salt Lake City and San Francisco comparing two 14-week group conditions with follow-up. We encountered three major challenges: 1) difficulty determining eligibility for some potential participants who were contacted, 2) locating and recruiting nonwhites, and 3) unavailable phone numbers for approximately one-third of those we attempted to contact. Despite these challenges, we achieved a 42% response rate with a sample size of 328 participants comprising 15% nonwhite. Eighty-five percent of the participants completed all of the follow-up data points. Leading factors in participants' decisions to ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4026226 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:55:02 +0100 4026226 Opportunities for mourning when grief is disenfranchised: descendants of Nazi perpetrators in dialogue with Holocaust survivors. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4026225&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20873533%26dopt%3DAbstract This article explores the concepts of unmourned and disenfranchised grief as a way to understand the experiences of adult children of Nazi perpetrators, who grew up with cultural norms of grieving alone or in silence. The scholarly literature on descendants of Nazis reflects a group unlikely to warrant empathy or support from others because of the stigma surrounding their family's possible involvement in the Holocaust atrocities. This article uses, as a case study approach, the testimony given by Monika Hertwig, the adult daughter of a high ranking Nazi, who appears in the documentary film, Inheritance. From the perspective of disenfranchised grief, defined as grief that is not socially recognized or supported, the article links Monika's testimony with existing research from in-depth inter... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4026225 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:55:02 +0100 4026225 Banishing death: the disappearance of the appreciation of mortality. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4026224&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20873534%26dopt%3DAbstract This article examines four of these changes: 1) falling death rates, 2) the rise of hospitals, 3) the rise of funeral directing as a profession, and 4) the rural cemetery movement. It is proposed that these changes produced an unjustified optimism with regard to the prolongation of life. PMID: 20873534 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4026224 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:55:02 +0100 4026224 The role of perfectionism in student suicide: three case studies from the UK. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4026223&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20873535%26dopt%3DAbstract This article aims to provide important insight into the potency that certain profiles of perfectionism can claim in the path to suicide by presenting three case studies from a U.K. study of student suicide. Collectively, these case studies provide theoretical support for existing frameworks and are consistent with other literature which emphasizes those forms of perfectionism that engender severe self-criticism and self-doubt and fear of failure as most destructive. PMID: 20873535 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4026223 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:55:02 +0100 4026223 Beyond depression: yearning for the loss of a loved one. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3882865&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20712138%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stroebe W, Abakoumkin G, Stroebe M Studies assessing the impact of relationship quality and social support on marital bereavement have typically focussed on depressive symptoms as the major (and often only) bereavement outcome. Although sadness and depression are important symptoms of grieving, they are neither the only nor necessarily the most important ones. We argue that in addition to measures of depression, grief measures need to be used in assessing bereavement outcome. However, grief measures do not only assess reactions that are specific to bereavement such as yearning, but also general responses that grief shares with other critical life events (e.g., anxiety, shock, anger, intrusive thoughts, and despair). We would expect marital quality to only affect yearning for t... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3882865 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:02 +0100 3882865 An examination of stage theory of grief among individuals bereaved by natural and violent causes: a meaning-oriented contribution. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3882864&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20712139%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holland JM, Neimeyer RA Despite its popularity, few attempts have been made to empirically test the stage theory of grief. The most prominent of these attempts was conducted by Maciejewski, Zhang, Block, and Prigerson (2007), who found that different states of grieving may peak in a sequence that is consistent with stage theory. The present study aimed to provide a conceptual replication and extension of these findings by examining the association between time since loss and five grief Indicators (focusing on disbelief, anger, yearning, depression, and acceptance), among an ethnically diverse sample of young adults who had been bereaved by natural (n=441) and violent (n=173) causes. We also examined the potential salience of meaning-making and assessed the extent to which part... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3882864 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:02 +0100 3882864 African-American teen girls grieve the loss of friends to homicide: meaning making and resilience. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3882863&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20712140%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Johnson CM Few studies have examined the bereavement experiences of African-American teen girls who have mourned the loss of friends due to homicide. This qualitative study examined such bereavement experiences with a sample of 20 African-American teen girls, ages 16-19, living in a large northeastern U.S. city. Meaning making, adolescent developmental theory, ideas regarding traumatic loss, and resilience provided a framework to understand how these teens coped with the tragic loss of a friend. The teen girls in this study demonstrated resilience in their ability to adequately "move on" with their lives. They remained achievement oriented and sustained meaningful relationships with family, valued friends, and others. Early, metaphysical, and motivational meaning constructions... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3882863 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:02 +0100 3882863 Mediating effects of social and personal religiosity on the psychological well being of widowed elderly people. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3882862&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20712141%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined the mediating effects of social and personal religiosity on the psychological well being of widowed elderly people. The sample for this study was comprised of 1367 widowed and married elderly Muslims from Malaysia. Psychological well being, religiosity, and physical health were measured using WHO-5 Well being Index, Intrinsic Extrinsic religiosity scale, and a checklist of 16 physical health problems, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version-13). As expected, bivariate correlation analysis revealed that widowhood is statistically and negatively associated with psychological well being. Results of multiple hierarchical regression analyses and Sobel test showed that only the indirect effect of widowhood through p... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3882862 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:02 +0100 3882862 Bereavement interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities: what works? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3882861&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20712142%26dopt%3DAbstract This article provides counselors and other professionals with a review of existing bereavement intervention research for adults with ID. Practice recommendations are made on three levels: informal support; formal intervention; and community education. PMID: 20712142 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3882861 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:54:02 +0100 3882861 African American homicide bereavement: aspects of social support that predict complicated grief, PTSD, and depression. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655847&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20533646%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Burke LA, Neimeyer RA, McDevitt-Murphy ME Psychological adaptation following homicide loss is challenged not only by the violent nature of the death itself but also by the bereaved's relationships with would-be supporters. Recruiting a sample of 54 African-American homicidally bereaved individuals, we examined perceived and actual support, the size of the support network, family versus non-family support, and number of negative relationships to gauge the role of social support in bereavement outcomes such as complicated grief, PTSD, and depression. Results of quantitative assessments revealed that size of available network, quantity of negative relationships, and levels of grief-specific support were correlated with bereavement outcome. Clinical implications and suggestions fo... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655847 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:45:02 +0100 3655847 Reactions to Loss Scale: assessing grief in college students. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655846&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20533647%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cooley E, Toray T, Roscoe L The most common tools for assessing grief and loss focus on death-related loss. The Reactions to Loss Scale (RTL) broadens the scope of bereavement measures to include reactions to non-death losses. The population targeted by this measure, emerging adults (college students), commonly experiences a myriad of both death-related and non-death losses. The validity of the Reactions to Loss Scale (RTL) is investigated in 4 studies. Factor analysis of the 65-item RTL (N=564) identified 3 subscales, each demonstrating good reliability. In the first 3 studies, the RTL was found to be related to depression, anxiety, negative affect, and positive measures of satisfaction with life, happiness, and positive affect. In Study 4, prospective data was utilized to ev... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655846 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:45:02 +0100 3655846 Existential crisis and the awareness of dying: the role of meaning and spirituality. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655845&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20533648%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yang W, Staps T, Hijmans E An existential crisis may occur in cancer patients when they realize that their death may be imminent. We explore the ways in which patients deal with this crisis, in which the meaning of life itself is at stake. In dealing with an existential crisis, it is important to have the courage to confront the loss of meaning and security. Then, a new sense of meaning may emerge which is essentially a receptive experience of connectedness with an ego-transcending reality, such as mankind, nature, or God. This reduces existential fear and despair and leads to acceptance of "life-as-it-is", including its finitude. The article concludes with implications for healthcare workers. PMID: 20533648 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655845 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:45:02 +0100 3655845 The death of Socrates: a holistic re-examination. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655844&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20533649%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Silverman S Socrates' death, as portrayed by Plato, and commonly accepted, is seen as the virtuous choice of a philosopher of death in preference to ignominiously evading an unjust verdict of the jury. Xenophon's portrayal, the only other contemporaneous account, shows Socrates as being tired of life, seeing nothing worthwhile in hanging on to a continuously declining life, and deliberately choosing death. In more recent years I. F. Stone has discussed in depth the political context surrounding the trial of Socrates. In this article I discuss the various personal factors, his awareness of aging, his vision of declining relationships with others, his marriage and family life, the political context of the times, and his disbelief in democracy, at a time when the Athenian democra... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655844 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:45:02 +0100 3655844 Should we manage terror--if we could? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033891&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19927595%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kastenbaum R Terror Management Theory (TMT) has been revitalizing the traditional study of death anxiety since its introduction in the 1980s. Melding the perspectives of existential philosophy and social science, TMT has stimulated a varied and often creative program of empirical studies. There are methodological limitations to be noted, however, along with a cultural bias, and the neglect of other significant encounters with death in which terror is not the dominant concern. The should or should-not of terror management is viewed from functionalistic and death system as well as TMT perspectives. Suggestions are offered for adaptive responses to primal terror. PMID: 19927595 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033891 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:03 +0100 3033891 The prevalence of childhood traumatic grief--a comparison of violent/sudden and expected loss. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033890&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19927596%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: McClatchy IS, Vonk ME, Palardy G The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of childhood traumatic grief (CTG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parentally bereaved children and compare scores between those who had lost a parent to a sudden/violent death and those who had lost a parent to an expected death. A sample of 158 parentally bereaved children ages 7-16 completed the Extended Grief Inventory (EGI); 127 of those also completed the UCLA PTSD Index. A large number of children were experiencing CTG symptoms at moderate and severe levels. There was no significant difference in EGI or UCLA PTSD Index scores between the two types of losses. Findings are discussed in relation to trauma theory, research on parentally bereaved children and implica... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033890 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:03 +0100 3033890 The widowhood effect: a comparison of Jews and Catholics. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033889&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19927597%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abel EL, Kruger ML Using mortality data derived from tombstones in two Midwestern cemeteries, we compared the "widowhood effect" (decreased survival following the death of a spouse) among Jews and Catholics. Jewish men and women were both more likely to die sooner after the death of their spouses compared to Catholic men and women. Life table survival analysis indicated that the median number of years of survival following widowhood for Catholic and Jewish men were 7.7 years and 5.0 years, respectively (p < .01). For Catholic and Jewish women, it was 11.0 and 9.5 years, respectively (p < .01). Interpretations were offered in terms of Bowlby's attachment theory. PMID: 19927597 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033889 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:03 +0100 3033889 Attitudes toward death and brain death among Turkey's physicians: a brief research report. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033888&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19927598%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the authors suggest that the brain death issue must be discussed by physicians, other professionals in Turkish society, and the general public so to reach a better concensus. PMID: 19927598 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033888 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:03 +0100 3033888 Building bridges in American Indian bereavement research. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033887&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19927599%26dopt%3DAbstract This article reviews discussions of ethical and methodological issues, uses Muscogee Creeks' responses from the author's prior study (Walker, 2008; Walker & Balk, 2007) as an example and application, and specifically focuses on the research of death and bereavement. The article provides ethical reflection and recommendations for designing death and bereavement research as an outsider to the culture, as well as for building trust with participants in American Indian populations. PMID: 19927599 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033887 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:28:03 +0100 3033887 Personal growth after a suicide loss: cross-sectional findings suggest growth after loss may be associated with better mental health among survivors. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2856128&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19791516%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Feigelman W, Jordan JR, Gorman BS With a diverse sample of 462 parent survivors of their child's suicide we explored the association of the personal growth subscale of the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC) with mental health problems among longer-term survivors. In this article we offer additional validation for this scale's association with longer-term survivorship and reduced grief difficulties. We also demonstrate its negative relationship with mental health problems. In addition, we explore the demographic correlates of personal growth, which are likely to enable some survivors to experience personal growth sooner than others. Overall, the findings suggest that personal growth represents an important part in the process of healing after suicide loss. PMID: 19791516... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2856128 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:56:03 +0100 2856128 Prolonged grief disorder and depression in widows due to the Rwandan genocide. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2856127&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19791517%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schaal S, Elbert T, Neuner F Should pathological grief be viewed as a nosological category, separate from other forms of mental diseases? Diagnostic criteria for "Prolonged Grief Disorder" (PGD) have recently been specified by Prigerson and her coworkers. We interviewed a total of 40 widows who had lost their husbands during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. We assessed Major Depression using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) and prolonged grief reactions with the PG-13. In order to examine the distinctiveness of the two syndromes we performed a multitrait correlational matrix analysis using modified versions of Generalized Proximity Functions (GPFs). 12.5% (n = 5) of the sample fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosis of PGD; 40% (n = 16) met criteria for... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2856127 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:56:03 +0100 2856127 How do the young suicide survivors wish to be met by psychologists? A user study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2856126&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19791518%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dyregrov K Little user-knowledge has been documented on the experiences of young suicide bereaved with psychosocial assistance and therapy. Thirty-two adolescents who had lost a close family member or friend by suicide participated in a research project by filling in questionnaires and participating in focus group interviews. The article explores the young people's experiences with and wishes for help from psychologists, and shows that the young bereaved do not receive the psychological assistance they wish for and need. The shortcomings are discussed in relation to the organization, form, and contents of the help. In order to reach youth with adequate assistance in an extreme life situation, it is worth listening to their opinions about how they want to be approached in the w... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2856126 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:56:03 +0100 2856126 Spiritual beliefs among Israeli nurses and social workers: a comparison based on their involvement with the dying. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2856125&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19791519%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pelleg G, Leichtentritt RD The purpose of the study was to compare spiritual beliefs and practices between nurses and health care social workers based on their involvement with dying patients. Exposure to the dying was identified by two indicators: the percentage of terminally ill patients in the provider's care and the work environment. On the basis of the literature, differences were expected between the two types of professionals and the three degrees of involvement with the dying. Nurses were expected to have a higher spiritual perspective than social workers; and health care providers with high involvement in care for the dying were expected to hold the highest levels of spiritual beliefs. Contrary to expectations, no differences in spirituality were found between nurses ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2856125 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:56:03 +0100 2856125 Embodied grief: bereaved parents' narratives of their suffering body. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2856124&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19791520%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gudmundsdottir M Experiences and symptoms emanating from the bereaved person's body are commonly considered to be psychosomatic reactions to loss. The lingering of such experiences is thought to reflect a maladaptive coping style that needs to be addressed to access the psychological pain underlying the symptoms. In this interpretive, phenomenological study of 15 family members in seven families who lost a child to sudden, unexpected death, stories of embodied grief are explored to further understand the grieving body. The findings of this study illuminate the many ways parents experience their grieving body and they underscore the importance of witnessing and acknowledging stories of the body in clinical work with bereaved parents who are learning to live in a world without t... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2856124 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:56:03 +0100 2856124 Post-death encounters: grieving, mourning, and healing. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2735198&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19697714%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined such encounters in the context of the grieving, mourning, and healing processes. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 individuals who reported a post-death encounter following the death of a loved one. Phenomenological analysis showed that participants went through an interpretive process in which they attempted to make sense of their experiences. The encounters profoundly affected the participants' beliefs in an afterlife and attitudes toward life and death, and had a significant impact on their grief. Finally, post-death encounters had a healing effect on the participants by contributing to a sense of connectedness with the deceased. We conclude that health care professionals and counselors should be educated about post-death encounters so that the bere... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2735198 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:50:03 +0100 2735198 The growth of death awareness through death education among university students in Hong Kong. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2735197&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19697715%26dopt%3DAbstract This study attempts to explore the attitude toward death, which ranges from fear of death to its acceptance, held by students of one of the universities in Hong Kong. It also tries to examine the relationship between their attitude toward death and their ratings of life and death. Another aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a death education course offered in that university. It is found that the present death attitude of Hong Kong university students is not satisfactory and that it has been significantly improved after students took a death education course. PMID: 19697715 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2735197 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:50:03 +0100 2735197 Muscogee Creek spirituality and meaning of death. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2735196&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19697716%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Walker AC, Thompson T This qualitative, collective case study involves interviews with 27 members of the Muscogee Creek Tribe to explore spirituality as related to death and bereavement. Results yielded that Creeks are generally open to the existence of inexplicable supernatural events. Creek spirituality encompasses awareness of spiritual beings, both good and bad. Participants believed that spirits exist alongside people and can send and receive messages from people to guide and inform them. Creeks have ongoing, though not constant, relationships with loved ones and others who have died. Spiritual attunement can occur at every point in the life cycle but seems to be especially astute in children and animals. Results are discussed in terms of continuing bonds and meaning maki... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2735196 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:50:03 +0100 2735196 The important role of the school following suicide in Norway. What support do young people wish that school could provide? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2735195&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19697717%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dyregrov K Little knowledge has been documented on the experiences of young suicide survivors, how they are coping with schooling and what kind of support they think they need. Thirty-two adolescents who had lost a close family member or friend by suicide participated in a research project by filling in questionnaires and participating in focus group interviews. The article explores the young people's experiences with and wishes for help from the school, including teachers and school nurses. The results show that the young people struggle with concentration and learning new material. Although many are satisfied with care and support while at school, the young bereaved do not receive all the assistance they wish for and need. In order to adequately support young suicide survivo... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2735195 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:50:03 +0100 2735195 Voodoo death. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654307&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19634503%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lester D Scholarly writing on voodoo death is reviewed. Criticisms that voodoo deaths in indigenous societies have never been well documented are refuted with cases medically documented in developed nations. The work of Cannon and Richter on sudden death in animals is reviewed and dismissed as irrelevant for understanding voodoo death. The role of starvation and dehydration is discussed, and it is suggested that the given-up/giving-up hypothesis best fits the phenomenon of voodoo death. Hypotheses for future research are suggested. PMID: 19634503 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654307 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:13 +0100 2654307 Back home: a qualitative study exploring re-entering cross-cultural missionary aid workers' loss and grief. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654306&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19634504%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Selby S, Moulding N, Clark S, Jones A, Braunack-Mayer A, Beilby J Over 200 Australian, American, and British Non-Government Organizations send aid workers overseas including missionaries. On re-entry, they may suffer psychological distress; however, there is little research about their psychosocial issues and management in the family practice setting. Research suggests loss and grief as a suitable paradigm for family practitioners dealing with psychosocial issues. The aim of this study was to explore loss and grief issues for adult Australian missionary cross-cultural aid workers during their re-entry adjustment. Mixed methods were used and this study reports the qualitative method: semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 participants. Results were analyzed using framewor... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654306 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:13 +0100 2654306 The arabic scale of death anxiety: some results from east and west. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654305&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19634505%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abdel-Khalek AM, Lester D, Maltby J, Tomás-Sábado J The twofold objectives of the present study were (a) to examine sex-related differences on the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA) in seven Arabic and Western countries, and (b) to compare the mean ASDA scores among Arabic samples (Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria) with Western samples (Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States). A total sample of 2978 volunteer undergraduates participated in this study. They resided in their countries of origin and responded to the scale in their respective native-speaking languages. Sex-related differences on the ASDA were statistically significant in all countries (except the United Kingdom), with women having higher mean scores than their male peers. It was found that a... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654305 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:13 +0100 2654305 Siblings and child friends in death-related literature for children. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654304&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19634506%26dopt%3DAbstract This article explores ways in which siblings and child friends are represented as being involved in death and loss experiences. These representations are taken from 51 selected examples of death-related literature designed to be read by or with children. The main goal is to ask how these youngsters respond when confronted by the death of a sibling or child friend. How do they act when they are on their own, with each other, or with adults? This is important because these representations of children coping with death-related situations can serve as partial role models for the youngsters who read these books, either on their own or with a companion adult. And when adults are involved in reading, discussing, or examining books of this type, they can gain some insights into the world of childr... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654304 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:13 +0100 2654304 When clients sense the presence of loved ones who have died. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654303&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19634507%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sanger M The continued bonds between bereaved individuals and the deceased are central to the process of mourning. One challenging form of continuing bond is that in which the mourner senses the actual presence of the deceased--i.e., seeing one's deceased husband at the kitchen counter. Some see this experience as a sign of pathology while others see it as a normal, healthy aspect of grief and mourning. Twenty-one social workers shared their experiences in addressing this issue with clients. Despite conceptualizing this experience in a variety of ways, they all grounded their interactions with clients around this issue on the fundamental social work value of respecting the client's dignity and experience. Their experiences and insights may be useful to other practitioners. ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654303 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:26:13 +0100 2654303 Humor, laughter, and happiness in the daily lives of recently bereaved spouses. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205551&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19227000%26dopt%3DAbstract This study of 292 recently widowed (5-24 weeks) men (39%) and women (61%) age 50 and over examined both the perceived importance of and actual experience of having positive emotions in their daily lives and how they might impact bereavement adjustments. We found that most of the bereaved spouses rated humor and happiness as being very important in their daily lives and that they were also experiencing these emotions at higher levels than expected. Experiencing humor, laughter, and happiness was strongly associated with favorable bereavement adjustments (lower grief and depression) regardless of the extent to which the bereaved person valued having these positive emotions. PMID: 19227000 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205551 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:23:09 +0100 2205551 Six-year longitudinal predictors of posttraumatic growth in parentally bereaved adolescents and young adults. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205550&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19227001%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wolchik SA, Coxe S, Tein JY, Sandler IN, Ayers TS Using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, we examined posttraumatic growth in a sample of 50 adolescents and young adults who had experienced parental death in childhood or adolescence. Longitudinal relations were examined between baseline measures of contextual and intraindividual factors and scores on the posttraumatic growth subscales (i.e., New Possibilities, Relating to Others, Personal Strengths, Spiritual Changes, and Appreciation of Life) six years later. Controlling for time since death, threat appraisals, active coping, avoidant coping, seeking support from parents or guardians, seeking support from other adults, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems were significant predictors of posttraumatic growth. Th... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205550 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:23:09 +0100 2205550 Death anxiety in a national sample of United States funeral directors and its relationship with death exposure, age, and sex. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205549&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19227002%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Harrawood LK, White LJ, Benshoff JJ The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the level of death anxiety among a national sample of United States funeral directors with varying levels of death exposure, age, and sex. Utilizing the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS), the results showed a significant, but weak negative relationship between levels of death anxiety and the participants' reported number of funerals attended per year. The correlation between death anxiety scores and the number of reported embalming cases performed yearly was, however, not significant. We found a significant negative correlation between death anxiety and age in both men and women funeral directors. The difference in the death anxiety scores between men (n=166) and wom... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205549 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:23:09 +0100 2205549 Changes in gender discrimination after death: evidence from a cemetery. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205548&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19227003%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abel EL Information on tombstones from a large cemetery in New York State were analyzed for gender discrimination. Criteria for gender bias were indications of familial relationships, absence of surnames, and absence of maiden names combined with surname for married women. Overall, females were far more likely to be identified in terms of familial relationships and were far less likely to have their married surname included on their gravestone. However, when the data were divided into 50 year epochs, it was apparent that identification of women in terms of familial relationships had become far less common and indication of surnames had become more common over the last 150 years. There was also a slight trend for women to have both their maiden and surnames on their grave marke... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205548 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:23:09 +0100 2205548 The impact of holidays on suicide in Hungary. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205547&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19227004%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zonda T, Bozsonyi K, Veres E, Lester D, Frank M The suicide rate on religious and public holidays was examined for 133,699 suicides for Hungary for the period 1970-2002. For both men and women, more suicides were committed on Monday, while fewer were committed on the weekends. More suicides occurred on New Year's Day than expected. On Christmas Day and on Easter Sunday and Monday, suicides were less frequent only for men, a result consistent with Durkheim's theory. There was less evidence for Gabennesch's broken promise effect on the days after the holidays. National holidays had no impact on the frequency of suicide. PMID: 19227004 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205547 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:23:09 +0100 2205547 Who enrolls in college death education courses? A longitudinal study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075575&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19112872%26dopt%3DAbstract This article addresses the question of why students take death education courses in college by examining data collected from death education classes over a span of 20 years and 3 decades (1985-2004). The results document the magnitude and consistency of the at-risk student. The authors discuss the precautionary steps they take and call for a renewed discourse on ethical considerations in death education. PMID: 19112872 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075575 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:44:50 +0100 2075575 Exploring the beliefs underlying attitudes to active voluntary euthanasia in a sample of Australian medical practitioners and nurses: a qualitative analysis. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075574&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19112873%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: White KM, Wise SE, Young RM, Hyde MK A qualitative study explored beliefs about active voluntary euthanasia (AVE) in a sample (N = 18) of medical practitioners and nurses from Australia, where AVE is not currently legal. Four behaviors relating to AVE emerged during the interviews: requesting euthanasia for oneself, legalizing AVE, administering AVE to patients if it were legalized, and discussing AVE with patients if they request it. Using thematic analysis, interviews were analyzed for beliefs related to advantages and disadvantages of performing these AVE behaviors. Medical practitioners and nurses identified a number of similar benefits for performing the AVE-related behaviors, both for themselves personally and as health professionals. Benefits also included a considerati... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075574 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:44:50 +0100 2075574 How religion comforts the dying: a qualitative inquiry. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075573&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19112874%26dopt%3DAbstract This study found that religion, when it comforted these dying people, did so by offering a relationship to the dying, by giving the hope of life after death, through identifications, and through the assurance of cosmic order. The authors suggest theoretical perspectives accounting for these functions. PMID: 19112874 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075573 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:44:50 +0100 2075573 Death anxiety in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly people in Spain. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075572&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19112875%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Portal Moreno R, de la Fuente Solana EI, Aleixandre Rico M, Lozano Fernández LM To know the level of death anxiety using the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) (1970) (Ramos's Spanish adaptation, 1982)) we chose subjects older than 65 years (N = 227) to study, on one hand, the existing relation between cognitive-affective reactions toward death and the perception of the passing of time and, on the other, a group of variables which include the place of residence, age, gender, life reflection, health disorders, psychological problems, religious aspects, and socio-demographics features. To undertake this, a questionnaire was administered in which the participants answered according to their degree of agreement to several alternatives. The data indicates, by means of an analys... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075572 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:44:50 +0100 2075572 Islam and suicide: a short personal communication. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2075571&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19112876%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rezaeian M Islamic countries display lower suicide rates compared to the other countries of the world. Since most studies dealing with the relationships between Islam and suicide have focused on the extent of the problem and not the underlying mechanisms, the focus of this brief communication is to provide a rather more in-depth discussion regarding the mechanism of this relation. It also covers issues which may have an adverse effect on suicide within Islamic countries and consequently tries to sketch a path ahead in the area of suicide research within the Islamic countries. PMID: 19112876 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2075571 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:44:50 +0100 2075571 Internet support groups for suicide survivors: a new mode for gaining bereavement assistance. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859955&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837172%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Feigelman W, Gorman BS, Beal KC, Jordan JR Taken among parents who sustained the loss of a child to suicide this study explores the participation of parents in Internet support groups, comparing their demographic and loss-related characteristics (N = 104) to other parent survivors participating in face-to-face support groups (N = 297). Contrary to expectations that Internet affiliates would be concentrated in under-served rural areas, we found similar levels of urban, suburban, small city and rural residents in both Internet and face-to-face subsamples. Bivariate and multivariate analyses suggested several important factors contributing to interest in Internet grief support including: 24/7 availability and opportunities to invest more time into this type of support group exper... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859955 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859955 Implementing a triangulation protocol in bereavement research: a methodological discussion. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859954&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837173%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes how an interdisciplinary research team implemented a triangulation protocol in a study of the needs of bereaved parents. Triangulation enabled the integration of diverse data sources, methods, and disciplinary perspectives. These processes yielded a more meaningful typology of bereaved parents' needs than would have otherwise been possible. Extending the use of triangulation will enhance multi-faceted understandings of bereavement. PMID: 18837173 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859954 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859954 The reporting of grief by one newspaper of record for the U.S.: the New York Times. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859953&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837174%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hilliker L One source people can rely on for clues on how to grieve a loss is through accounts of such experiences reported in the mass media. This research examines how grief has been reported at one newspaper of record for the U.S.: The New York Times. Using theories of social construction and the sick role, this exploratory study attempts to observe whether grieving is portrayed by media as a social problem, particularly as a health or medical issue which can be treated and cured, and also discusses those who are not identified in the mourner role in newspaper reports. PMID: 18837174 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859953 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859953 Facts and myths about suicide: a study of Jewish and Arab students in Israel. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859952&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837175%26dopt%3DAbstract Discussion focuses on the influence of the different cultural characteristics of lifestyle and the social control systems among Jews and Arabs in Israel on perceptions toward suicide. PMID: 18837175 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859952 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859952 Are cross-cultural comparisons of norms on death anxiety valid? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859951&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837176%26dopt%3DAbstract This article calls upon psychologists who develop death anxiety scales to disclose their presuppositions about death before administering a questionnaire. By disclosing his or her ontology a psychologist provides a means of disclosing his or her intentionality in responding to the items. This humanistic paradigm allows for an interactive participation between investigator and subject. Lester, Templer, and Abdel-Khalek (2006-2007) enriched psychology with significant empirical data on several correlates of death anxiety. But all scientists, especially psychologists, will always have alternative interpretations of the same empirical fact pattern. Empirical data is limited by the affirmation of the consequent limitation. A phenomenology of language and communication makes existential validity... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859951 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859951 A brief research note: helplessness, hopelessness, and haplessness as predictors of suicidal ideation: a cross-cultural study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859950&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18837177%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gençöz F, Vatan S, Walker R, Lester D Scales to measure helplessness and hopelessness were found to have good reliability and were significantly correlated with suicidal ideation in both Turkish and American respondents. PMID: 18837177 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859950 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:32:28 +0100 1859950 Making sense of loss: a content analysis of end-of-life practitioners' therapeutic approaches. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686728&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18680886%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to further the dialogue in the field of thanatology by surveying and describing the therapeutic approaches that EOL practitioners most commonly report using to facilitate meaning-making. A total of 119 practitioners from a range of EOL disciplines were surveyed to write about their intervention strategies for helping clients/patients make sense of loss. Overall, participants discussed using 23 different therapeutic approaches that comprised three overarching categories: 1) presence of the helping professional; 2) elements of the process; and 3) therapeutic procedures. Importantly, the results also indicated that practitioners from the different EOL occupations are converging on many of the same strategies for promoting meaning-making. Implications for future research on ev... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686728 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:25:02 +0100 1686728 Predictors of children's understandings of death: age, cognitive ability, death experience and maternal communicative competence. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686727&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18680887%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hunter SB, Smith DE A child's age, cognitive ability, and exposure to death in the environment have been documented as major factors affecting the formation of a mature death concept. The present study investigated the relationships between these three factors (age, cognitive ability, and death experience) and children's understandings of death, as well as the relationship between mothers' communicative competence and children's understandings of death. Thirty-seven children (ages 48-96 months) completed three cognitive tasks and answered four dichotomous questions about death. Their mothers (N = 37) responded in writing to 16 questions about death that children are likely to ask. Results showed significant relationships between age and understanding, between seriation ability... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686727 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:25:02 +0100 1686727 Personifications of personal and typical death as related to death attitudes. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686726&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18680888%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bassett JF, McCann PA, Cate KL The present article examined differences in personifications of personal and typical death as a function of attitudes about death. Ninety-eight students enrolled in psychology classes were randomly assigned to personify death as a character in a movie depicting either their own deathbed scene or the deathbed scene of the typical person prior to completing the Death Attitude Profile-Revised. The results supported the conceptual distinction between attitudes about personal death and death in general. Participants in the personal death condition personified death more frequently as a gentle-comforting image and less frequently as a cold-remote image than did participants in the typical death condition. The results also further validated the relation... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686726 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:25:02 +0100 1686726 African Americans in bereavement: grief as a function of ethnicity. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686725&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18680889%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Laurie A, Neimeyer RA Few empirical studies have explored the grieving process among different ethnic groups within the United States, and very little is known about how African Americans and Caucasians may differ in their experience of loss. The purpose of this study was to examine the African-American experience of grief, with particular emphasis on issues of identity change, interpersonal dimensions of the loss, and continuing attachments with the deceased. Participants were 1,581 bereaved college students (940 Caucasians and 641 African Americans) attending classes at a large southern university. Each participant completed the Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised, the Continuing Bonds Scale, and questions regarding the circumstances surrounding his or her loss. Results r... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686725 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:25:02 +0100 1686725 The reliability and validity of revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (version 3) in a Nigerian population. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686724&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18680890%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kolawole MS, Olusegun AK The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale in a Nigerian population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students using the Collett-Lester fear of death questionnaire, demographic variables were also obtained. A total of 175 students completed the questionnaire. Reliability score was good and convergent validity was also good. We concluded that the scale has good validity and reliability score among this population. PMID: 18680890 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686724 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:25:02 +0100 1686724 Perinatal loss: a qualitative study in Northern Ireland. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478409&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507324%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes the experiences of women in Northern Ireland who have experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth. Pregnancy loss encompasses several dimensions of loss for women, loss of the future, loss of self-identity, and the loss of anticipated parenthood. The study explored how women emotionally responded to loss and the care they received from medical staff. Burial arrangements for the remains of the baby are also explored. The methodology adopted a narrative approach based upon in-depth interviews with 23 women who attended pregnancy loss self-help groups. The women's narratives highlight their emotional responses to loss, the medicalization of perinatal grief, and burial arrangements. Women felt that their experience was emotionally negative in that they had been subjected to ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478409 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478409 The social relations of bereavement in the Caribbean. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478408&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507325%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this article are to discuss the various types of behaviors associated with grief and bereavement, and to examine the relationships, consequences, and outcomes of bereavement practices among the various religious and ethnic groups in the English-speaking Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados. The rituals associated with death and grief differs across cultures and is greatly influenced by religious beliefs and traditions. How these rituals are played out depend on the culture of origin and level of acculturation of the various groups into mainstream society. In the Caribbean region, expressions of grief represent religious and cultural traditions that may have a significant impact on social relations, particularly in multi-ethnic and multicultural so... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478408 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478408 The death of mourning: from Victorian crepe to the little black dress. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478407&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507326%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bedikian SA Mourning is a natural response to loss. In the late eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth century, in England and France, the bereaved was expected to follow a complex set of rules, particularly among the upper classes, with women more bound to adhere to these customs than men. Such customs involved wearing heavy, concealing, black costume and the use of black crepe veils. Special black caps and bonnets were worn with these ensembles. Widows were expected to wear these clothes up to four years after their loss to show their grief. Jewelry often made of dark black jet or the hair of the deceased was used. To remove the costume earlier was thought disrespectful to the deceased. Formal mourning culminated during the reign of Queen Victoria. Her prolonged gr... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478407 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478407 "The wholeness of things": infusing diversity and social justice into death education. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478406&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507327%26dopt%3DAbstract This article presents resources and strategies for the infusion of diversity and social justice themes into an undergraduate death and dying course. The intent is not to replace or dismiss existing thanatological insights and debates, but rather to widen the cultural perspective to bring these insights and debates into conversation with multiple ways of perceiving and understanding. The article covers definitions, goals and rationales, challenges in identifying and developing appropriate resources, and overall course design. It also explores readings, audiovisual materials, class activities, and pedagogical approaches to foster: student engagement with diverse world-views and experiences; understanding of "cultural competence" in various fields; awareness of the impact of race, class, gend... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478406 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478406 Turkish health professional's attitude toward euthanasia. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478405&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507328%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Karadeniz G, Yanikkerem E, Pirinçci E, Erdem R, Esen A, Kitapçioğlu G The cross-sectional study was administrated between April and September 2006. Participants are doctors, nurses, and midwives. Between these dates we met only 750 health staff (doctor, nurse, and midwife). Six hundred thirty-two of them responded to our questionnaire, 122 of them were in Manisa city, and 510 of them in Erciyes. We sought to identify variables that contribute to euthanasia attitude, including demographics, in order to demonstrate Turkish doctors', nurses', and midwives' attitudes toward euthanasia and to compare their attitudes in this regard. The data was collected by a two-part questionnaire. The first part included questions about the health personnel; the second part compri... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478405 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478405 Does religiosity help Muslims adjust to death?: a research note. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478404&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18507329%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hossain MS, Siddique MZ Death is the end of life. But Muslims believe death is an event between two lives, not an absolute cessation of life. Thus religiosity may influence Muslims differently about death. To explore the impact of religious perception, thus religiosity, a cross-sectional, descriptive, analytic and correlational study was conducted on 150 Muslims. Self-declared healthy Muslims equally from both sexes (N = 150, Age range--20 to 50 years, Minimum education--Bachelor) were selected by stratified sampling and randomly under each stratum. Subjects, divided in five levels of religiosity, were assessed and scored for the presence of maladjustment symptoms and stage of adjustment with death. ANOVA and correlation coefficient was applied on the sets of data collected. A... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478404 Fri, 30 May 2008 16:31:55 +0100 1478404 Beyond death: inheriting the past and giving to the future, transmitting the legacy of one's self. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401587&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18435324%26dopt%3DAbstract This study explores the phenomenon of legacy as a component of the aging experience among women. Against a backdrop of prior focus on transmission of material possessions as the primary form of legacy, the concept is critically examined in developing an expanded, theoretically and empirically grounded perspective. In-depth interviews with 38 women, ranging in age from 31 to 94 and representing diverse marital, parental, and health statuses, reveal multiple dimensions of leaving a legacy in terms of content, creation, and transmission. Through the stories of the participants in this study, legacy emerges as a means of passing on the essence of one's self, in particular one's values and beliefs. Legacy is a method of leaving something behind after death and making meaning of the end of life.... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401587 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:00:57 +0100 1401587 Problematic emotions and maternal grief. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401586&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18435325%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Barr P, Cacciatore J The study was an empirical examination of the relation of personality proneness to "problematic social emotions"--envy (Dispositional Envy Scale), jealousy (Interpersonal Jealousy Scale), and shame and guilt (Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2)--to maternal grief (Perinatal Grief Scale-33) following miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or infant/child death. The 441 women who participated in the study were enrolled from the Website, e-mail contact lists, and parent support groups of an organization that offers information and support to bereaved parents. All four problematic emotions were positively correlated with maternal grief. Envy, jealousy, and guilt made significant unique contributions to the variance in maternal grief. Overall, time lapse since... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401586 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:00:57 +0100 1401586 Gloomy Sunday: did the "Hungarian suicide song" really create a suicide epidemic? http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401585&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18435326%26dopt%3DAbstract Gloomy Sunday: did the "Hungarian suicide song" really create a suicide epidemic? Omega (Westport). 2007-2008;56(4):349-58 Authors: Stack S, Krysinska K, Lester D The effect of art on suicide risk has been a neglected topic in suicidology. The present article focuses on what is probably the best known song concerning suicide, Gloomy Sunday, the "Hungarian suicide song." An analysis of historical sources suggests that the song was believed to trigger suicides. It was, for example, banned by the BBC in England until 2002. The alleged increase in suicides in the 1930s associated with the playing of the song may be attributed to audience mood, especially the presence of a large number of depressed persons as a result of the Great Depression. The influence of music on suicide may be... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401585 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:00:57 +0100 1401585 Figures of grief: metaphors from a bereavement writing group. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401584&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18435327%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Young E In a community-based bereavement writing group, patterns of metaphor emerged and helped the group members identify and deal with particularly challenging aspects of death and grief, including taboo subjects such as abuse and suicide. The metaphors show how a bereavement writing group functioned to address the needs of people coping with different kinds of grief effectively and efficiently. Analysis of the specific metaphors suggests why figurative language enabled the group to bond quickly and strongly, delve into the complex emotions death elicits, and integrate experiences of loss and grief safely and productively. The patterns of metaphors the group produced in their writing about death and grief are discussed in terms of bereavement processes, and the topics the gr... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401584 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:00:57 +0100 1401584 Why does zeno the stoic hold his breath? "Zenoism" as a new variable for studying suicide. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401583&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18435328%26dopt%3DAbstract This article presents two studies testing out this new variable (zenoism): in Study One (n = 233), we explore the moderating effects of religiosity and gender on zenoism, depression, demoralization, and suicidality. In Study Two (n = 137), we explore these same moderating effects on zenoism, fear of dependency, value of life, and favorability toward physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Results indicate: 1) men and non-religious respondents (especially men) zenoize more than women and religious respondents; 2) non-religious respondents, (especially men) are more generally favorable to PAS and more suicidal; 3) Zenoism is negatively related to depression, demoralization, and value of life for non-religious respondents, and for men; 4) Zenoism is positively related to favorability toward PAS tow... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401583 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:00:57 +0100 1401583 Change in depression of spousal caregivers of dementia patients following patient's death. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265478&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18300648%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tweedy MP, Guarnaccia CA Caring for an elderly spouse with dementia places a heavy burden on spousal caregivers and often results in chronic depression. Little has been written about change in depression caregivers experience from before to after the death of the spouse with dementia. This longitudinal study examines change in depression of spousal caregivers that occurs following death of the dementia patient. Two theoretical models, the Relief and Stress Models, are discussed in terms of caregiver depression after the death of the dementia-patient care-recipient spouse. These two theoretical models were tested using longitudinal data from the National Institute on Aging sponsored Health and Retirement Study. Both male and female spousal caregivers report an increase in depre... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265478 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0100 1265478 Psychosocial effects of war experiences among displaced children in southern Darfur. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265477&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18300649%26dopt%3DAbstract This study focused on assessing the psychosocial effects of the long standing, high intensity, and guerrilla-style of warfare among displaced children in Southern Darfur. The goal was to better understand the etiology, prognosis, and treatment implications for traumatic reactions, depression, and grief symptoms in this population. Three hundred thirty-one children aged 6-17 from three IDP Camps were selected using a quota sampling approach and were administered a Demographic Questionnaire, Child Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Index, Child Depression Inventory, and the Expanded Grief Inventory. Forty-three percent were girls and 57% were boys. The mean age of the children was 12 years. Results found that children were exposed to a very large number of war experiences with no significant dif... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265477 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0100 1265477 Special considerations in conducting bereavement focus groups. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265476&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18300650%26dopt%3DAbstract This article builds on key articles discussing ethical, methodological, logistical, and analytical issues in conducting focus groups with vulnerable populations (Owen, 2001; Seymour, Bellamy, Gott, Ahmedzai, & Clark, 2002). For bereaved people, vulnerability stems from heightened potential for harm by virtue of participation in sensitive, personal exploration of death-related experiences. We discuss reasons for selecting focus group methods and our experiences with planning and implementing focus groups with bereaved people. Issues found to be highly salient in our work include: team composition, participant recruitment, creating the environment, starting and ending the group, language and listening, managing emotional discussions and time, and analytic considerations. Recommendations ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265476 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0100 1265476 Religiosity and preferences for life-prolonging medical treatments in African-American and white elders: a mediation study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265475&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18300651%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined a dimension of religiosity frequently invoked in end-of-life research-guidance by God's will-as a potential mediator of racial differences in such treatment preferences. Three hundred African-American and White men and women aged 60 or older participated in a 35-minute telephone interview that elicited preferences for four common life-prolonging treatments in each of nine health scenarios. The questionnaire included the five-item God's will (GW) scale, a health conditions checklist, a depression measure, and sociodemographic questions. GW mediated racial differences at least partially for most treatments and in most health scenarios. Implications are discussed for understanding end-of-life treatment preferences and why races tend to differ. PMID: 18300651 [PubMed - in proce... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265475 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0100 1265475 Older poor parents who lost an adult child to aids in Togo, West Africa: a qualitative study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265474&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18300652%26dopt%3DAbstract This study analyzes the difficulties that poor parents faced when they lost an adult child to AIDS in Togo. The death of a child is believed to be more distressful to parents compared to the death of a spouse. Evidence also suggests that parental grief is more lasting and may be the most complicated form of grief. Furthermore, the roles played by the deceased child in the lives of the parents also affect the parental grieving process. For instance, in low income regions where parents tend to be socio-economically challenged and where filial obligations are culturally expected, losing an adult child who provided material and financial assistance to parents will be more disastrous. Four kinds of difficulties were identified: financial and social difficulty, psychological difficulty, caregivi... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265474 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0100 1265474 Do imaginary companions die? An exploratory study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175192&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18210892%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kastenbaum R, Fox L Adults in this exploratory study usually recalled that their childhood imaginary companions faded away or were dismissed as other options for social interaction became more appealing. However, eight participants reported that their IC had died. Analysis of these deaths offers a glimpse of the child's talent for transitional thought processes that navigate between the emerging constraints of logic and the continuing appeal of fantasy. It is suggested that young children are testing the limits and possibilities of what it means to be "real" at the same time they are trying to puzzle out "alive" and "dead." PMID: 18210892 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175192 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:55:10 +0100 1175192 Bereavement: an incomplete rite of passage. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175191&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18210893%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hunter J A bereavement ritual observed during anthropological fieldwork in Peru gives basis to this article which asserts that bereavement has become an incomplete rite of passage. The article reviews the role of ritual and rites of passage, examines other anthropologic examples of death and bereavement rituals, and identifies the lack of post-funeral ritual for many bereaved individuals in the United States. While funerary rituals which end with the funeral and burial of the dead are helpful in providing immediate structure for the bereaved, they are not congruent with the long-term emotional needs and reconstruction of meaning within grief. The author acknowledges value of both private ritual and reunions of the community of mourners, and recommends that bereavement counselo... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175191 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:55:10 +0100 1175191 Three explanations of marital status differences in suicide rates: social integration, marital status integration, and the culture of suicide. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175190&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18210894%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cutright P, Fernquist RM Our first goal is to link empirical measures of three theoretical explanations of marital status differences to the variation in male and female standardized suicide difference coefficients SSDCs in 12 developed countries, circa 1960. We include predictors of Durkheim's social integration hypothesis, Gibbs and Martin's concept of marital status integration, and norms on suicide acceptability. All three are significantly related to variation in male and female SSDCs. The second goal is to examine how our empirical indicators impact age-specific differences in the male minus female SSDC--differences that vary by age in all 12 of our study populations. The strongest predictor of these differences is the male minus female difference in the percent married.... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175190 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:55:10 +0100 1175190 Children of the condemned: grieving the loss of a father to death row. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1175189&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18210895%26dopt%3DAbstract This article explores the effects of a death sentence and execution on the children of the accused. Insight into the unique bereavement of this population is provided, while contributing to the literature on death and dying. The experience of losing a father to death row and eventual execution is compared to the wider population of children with incarcerated parents and it is determined that children of death row inmates contend with a much more complicated grief process, one that has gone largely unstudied. This article contains a brief discussion of disenfranchised grief and nonfinite loss, two theories that, we argue, shape the children's grief process. The results section of the article uses qualitative data gathered from 19 children to explore the role that nonfinite loss and disenfra... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1175189 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:55:10 +0100 1175189 Bereavement, gender, and cyberspace: a content analysis of parents' memorials to their children. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147095&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18186423%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Musambira GW, Hastings SO, Hoover JD The study investigated how two distinct perspectives apply to the role of gender in parents' memorials on The Compassionate Friends (TCF) electronic bulletin board; cyberspace as merely a mirror of societal gendered patterns of bereavement, and cyberspace as a medium or context in which societal gendered patterns of bereavement are neutralized. Data were evaluated to determine to what extent gender differences exist concerning instrumental versus intuitive styles of bereavement. Analytic categories used in assessing gender differences in parental bereavement style included the following: invoking spirituality, directing messages to the deceased, artistic expressions, and special powers accorded to the deceased. With some exceptions, the fin... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147095 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:49:55 +0100 1147095 Disenfranchised grief and nonfinite loss as experienced by the families of death row inmates. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147094&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18186424%26dopt%3DAbstract This study explores virtually untapped terrain. An examination of the microlevel effects of the death penalty on families provides insight in to the area of death and dying, especially as it is related to disenfranchised loss and nonfinite grief. In addition, this study provides insight into the death penalty and its effects. PMID: 18186424 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147094 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:49:55 +0100 1147094 The grief experiences of certified nursing assistants: personal growth and complicated grief. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147093&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18186425%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Anderson KA, Gaugler JE The grief that certified nursing assistants (CNAs) experience following the deaths of nursing home residents has received scant attention in past research, particularly from an empirical standpoint. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the grief experiences of CNAs in the nursing home setting and to identify and evaluate factors that may mediate or exacerbate grief. Participants (N=136) from 12 nursing homes completed self-administered surveys. Regression analyses revealed that CNAs with lower levels of perceived disenfranchised grief reported higher levels of personal growth, while CNAs with greater fear of death and those who experienced fewer deaths on the job reported higher levels of complicated grief. Practitioners and future ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147093 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:49:55 +0100 1147093 An interpersonal neurobiological-informed treatment model for childhood traumatic grief. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147092&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18186426%26dopt%3DAbstract This article expands an earlier model of the tasks of grieving (1990, [1995], [2001]) by building on science based findings derived from research in attachment theory, neuroscience, interpersonal neurobiology, and childhood traumatic grief (CTG). The proposed treatment model is a prescriptive approach that spells out specific tasks to be undertaken by children suffering traumatic grief under the direction of a therapist who is trained in trauma-informed therapy approaches and draws heavily on the empirically derived childhood traumatic grief treatment model developed by Cohen and Mannarino (2004; Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2006). This model expands on their work by proposing specific tasks that are informed by attachment theory research and the interpersonal neurobiological researc... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147092 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:49:55 +0100 1147092 Dialogue with Donald Templer. Interview by J.A. Beshai. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147091&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18186427%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Beshai JA PMID: 18186427 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147091 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:49:55 +0100 1147091 Hospice heritage. Introduction. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077279&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051015%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Parkes CM PMID: 18051015 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077279 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077279 Patient care: past, present, and future. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077278&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051016%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Twycross R The 40 years since St Christopher's Hospice opened has witnessed a burgeoning international interest in palliative care. Its key characteristics comprise a focus on the whole-person (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual), patient-centeredness (partnership with and empowerment of the patient and family), openness and honesty in communication, an acceptance of the inevitability of death coupled with improvement in the quality of life, multi-professional teamwork integrated with community (volunteer) involvement. Although much has been achieved, much remains to be done. Both in resource-poor countries and in more wealthy ones, the scope of palliative care has changed. Initially in the United Kingdom, palliative care was mostly limited to cancer patients but n... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077278 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077278 Family care before and after bereavement. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077277&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051017%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kissane D, Lichtenthal WG, Zaider T Distress reverberates throughout the family during palliative care and bereavement, inviting consideration of a family-centered model of care. Targeting families thought to be "at risk" has merit. The Family Focused Grief Therapy model was tested in a randomized controlled trial of 81 families (353 individuals) and bereavement outcome is reported here for treatment completers compared to controls. There were no significant baseline differences between treatment completers and non-completers. Significant reduction in distress occurred at 13 months post death for the families completing treatment, with further improvements for the 10% of individuals most distressed at baseline. A preventive model of family-centered care applied to those at gre... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077277 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077277 Spirituality and the care of patients at the end-of-life: an essential component of care. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077276&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051018%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Puchalski CM Spirituality is an essential component of the care of patients with serious illness and those that are dying. Dame Cicely Saunders developed the hospice movement based on the biopsychosocialspiritual model of care, in which all four dimensions are important in the care of patients. Of all the models of care, hospice and palliative care recognize the importance of spiritual issues in the care of patients and their families. The National Consensus Project Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, in the United States, provides specific recommendations about all domains of care including the spiritual domain, which is recognized as a critical component of care (The National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care www.nationalconsensusproject.org). Studies indicat... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077276 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077276 Spreading the word ... hospice information systems. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077275&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051019%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jackson A, Hodson M, Brady D, Pahl N The rapid spread of Saunders' thinking across the world has been facilitated by the Hospice Information service and library at St Christopher's Hospice which she helped to create and further enhanced by Help the Hospices. We have set this article in the context of the Web and other information systems as they are developing today. "Connecting people" and "collecting people's experiences" were terms often used by Cicely Saunders when she described the work of Hospice Information, a service that has in some measure contributed to the rapid spread of her thinking across the world and which is currently in close contact with palliative care workers in over 120 countries. Connecting--or networking--putting people and organizations in touch with ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077275 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077275 St Christopher's and the future. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077274&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051020%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Monroe B, Hansford P, Payne M, Sykes N The founding vision of St Christopher's Hospice was based on a recognition that permeating mainstream health care services would be essential and an emphasis on an adaptable philosophy rather than a building. Today, demographic and disease related changes mean that need and demand for end-of-life care will inevitably outstrip professional and financial resource. Hospices must engage with the development of cost-effective models of service delivery and rational planning. Only partnership working with the National Health Service, care homes, and others will ensure that appropriate care is available to everyone wherever the bed in which they die, regardless of diagnosis. Only collaboration and active engagement will ensure that future strate... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077274 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077274 Palliative medicine in Britain. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077273&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051021%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Doyle D In Britain, Palliative Medicine was recognized as a subspecialty of Internal Medicine exactly 20 years after Cicely Saunders founded St Christopher's, at exactly the same time that government was at last recognizing the worth and the needs of general practice. Both had far-reaching effects and implications for patients, doctors, and the future of medicine. For Palliative Medicine it meant units wishing to train specialists going through a rigorous selection process; the development of an equally rigorous training program for the doctors who had already gained a higher qualification before starting Palliative Medicine, demonstrating the need for and benefits of palliative medicine to the sceptics in the profession and, now, continuing to recruit the staff for the steadi... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077273 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077273 Development of hospice and palliative care in the United States. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077272&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051022%26dopt%3DAbstract This article discusses the history of hospice and palliative care in the United States, the Medicare Hospice Benefit, the growth of hospice and palliative care, and challenges such as the need for regulatory change, workforce issues, improving access to care, and improving the quality of palliative care. PMID: 18051022 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077272 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077272 End-of-life care around the world: achievements to date and challenges remaining. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077271&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051023%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Clark D From the moment her interest in terminal care was awakened, Cicely Saunders was alert to the international dimensions of the subject. Her first patient in the late 1940s was an emigré Polish Jew dying alone and in isolation in a busy London hospital. Her letters from the 1950s onwards show an unquenchable thirst for new knowledge and a span of contacts and communications that was global in its reach. By the early 1960s, she was making fact-finding visits to the United States and Europe. Even before it opened to patients, St Christopher's Hospice was a beacon of inspiration to like-minded colleagues from many countries, eager to see how the model of practice was being operationalized and--more important still--how it could be adapted and modified in other settings.... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077271 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077271 Hospice: achievements, legacies, and challenges. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1077270&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18051024%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Corr CA PMID: 18051024 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1077270 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:33:01 +0100 1077270 Validating a short version of the Suicide Intent Scale in China. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045296&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027641%26dopt%3DAbstract This study is to provide evidence to support the use of the Chinese shortened version of SIS (C-SIS) in Chinese societies. The data were from applying the C-SIS in a psychological autopsy (PA) study of 66 suicides in Dalian, China. Reliability and validity tests were performed on the C-SIS data. Internal consistency analysis showed excellent correlation coefficients for all items but one. Inter-rater reliability tests showed statistically significant correlations between each pair of informants for each item and for the total scores. Criterion validity analysis demonstrated a relatively high correlation between the scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and C-SIS. Factor analysis produced three factors accounting for 66.77% of the total variance. The study suggested that C-... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045296 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045296 Love of life and death distress: two separate factors. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045295&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027642%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of the current investigation were threefold: a) to explore the gender differences on love of life (a new construct in the well-being domain) and death distress (death anxiety, death depression, and death obsession); b) to explore the relationship between the scales of these constructs; and c) to examine the factorial structure of these scales. The sample was 245 volunteer Kuwaiti college students (53.5% women). Their mean age was 21.9 (SD = 2.3). They responded to the Love of Life Scale, the Death Anxiety Scale, the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety, the Death Depression Scale-Revised, and the Death Obsession Scale. Gender differences on love of life were not significant. However, women had significantly higher mean scores for the four death distress scales than did their male c... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045295 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045295 The Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS): further results on demographic correlates, dimensionality, reliability, and validity. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045294&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027643%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Voracek M, Egle J, Schleicher S, Loibl LM, Sonneck G Convergent lines of evidence from adoption, family, geographical, immigrant, molecular genetic, surname, and twin studies of suicide point to genetic contributions to risk factors for suicidal behavior. Related mental health literacy (knowledge and beliefs) of professionals and laypersons may, however, lag behind this research progress. The purpose of this study was to further validate the 22-item Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS), a novel instrument for assessing individuals' beliefs in the genetics of suicide. Data from a general population sample of 159 Austrian adults showed adequate internal scale consistency. Due to deliberate content heterogeneity, the instrument has a subscale stru... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045294 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045294 Death anxiety in Kuwaiti middle-aged personnel. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045293&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027644%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Abdel-Khalek AM, Al-Kandari Y The present study aimed to examine the level of death anxiety, the sex-related differences among a middle-aged Kuwaiti personnel sample, and to explore the replicability of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA) factors. A sample of 236 volunteer Kuwaiti personnel took part in the study. The mean ages of men and women were 41.5 (SD = 7.5) and 40.9 (SD = 7.1), respectively. The alpha reliability of the ASDA was found to be high (.93). Women had a significantly higher mean total score on the ASDA as well as on 17 out of its 20 items. Middle-aged personnel had a significantly lower mean ASDA total score than younger college students (M age = 22). The factor analysis of the ASDA items yielded three factors: fear of dead people and tombs; fear of pos... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045293 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045293 Hopelessness and suicidality in Turkish and American respondents. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045292&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027645%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gençöz F, Vatan S, Walker RL, Lester D In samples of both Turkish and American students, the correlates of suicidal ideation were found to be similar, with depression, hopelessness, and attitudes toward the ownership of life predicting the level of suicidal ideation in both samples. Results using a Western measure of religiosity, however, were different in the two cultures, indicating the need for measures of religiosity specifically tailored for Turkish culture. PMID: 18027645 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045292 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045292 Hopelessness, helplessness, and haplessness as predictors of suicidal ideation. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045291&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027646%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lester D, Walker RL Scales to measure helplessness and hopelessness were found to have good reliability and concurrent validity and were significantly correlated with suicidal ideation. PMID: 18027646 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045291 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045291 The changing presentation of death in the obituary, 1899-1999. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045290&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18027647%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Phillips JB Obituaries from the New York Times are examined at three points to illuminate changing conceptions of death. The findings are twofold. Changes in the obituary demonstrate how the locus of social control over death has shifted from nature and God, to medicine and most recently to the individual. Additionally, it is shown that descriptions of biophysical aspects of the dying process are marginalized over time and that there is more frequent use of language that emphasizes death-resistant themes in the most recent obituaries. This finding exemplifies the observation of increasing claims to authority over mortality by individuals in recent decades. PMID: 18027647 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045290 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:15:41 +0100 1045290 Assessing adults' difficulty in coping with funerals. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965437&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17944309%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hayslip B, Booher SK, Scoles MT, Guarnaccia CA The death of a loved one requires many adults to make decisions about a variety of details regarding funeral arrangements. Based upon data collected from 348 adults (M age = 34.21) who had attended the funeral of a loved one within the last year, a scale consisting of 50 items regarding the difficulties each had experienced with regard to events prior to, during, and after the funeral, was developed. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for this measure of difficulty was .96. Principal components analysis of these data indicated that difficulty in coping with funerals could be understood in light of six factors explaining 56% of the common variance among relationships between items: 1) protocol/mechanics of the funeral; 2) general persona... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965437 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:58:53 +0100 965437 What parents of seriously ill children value: parent-to-parent connection and mentorship. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965436&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17944310%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Konrad SC The value of parent-to-parent support has been noted in research with parents of children who have a range of special needs and chronic medical conditions, however, less is known about the benefit of such mentorship for parents caring for seriously ill and dying children. Findings from a qualitative study with mothers of seriously ill children, including those whose children had died, provided rich and detailed information about the personal and practical resources they received from other parents. Personal recommendations to parents by parents included the value of seeking out mentorship and appreciating the small things in life, while practical suggestions encompassed encouraging parents to become informed and to advocate for their children's best interests. Mother... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965436 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:58:53 +0100 965436 Idiocentrism, allocentrism, psychological well being and suicidal ideation: a cross cultural study. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965435&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17944311%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang J, Norvilitis JM, Ingersoll TS The present study examined the relationship between idiocentrism, allocentrism, psychological well being (self-esteem, depression, and social support), and suicidal ideation among 283 American college students and 343 Chinese college students. Idiocentrism was correlated with high self-esteem, high depression, and low social support, but the relationships were more likely to be significant for women than for men in both cultures. Allocentrism was primarily related to social support. As predicted, high levels of suicidal ideation were correlated with more idiocentrism, but only for women. Allocentrism was related to lower levels of suicidal ideation in both cultures, but the relationship was small. As suicide prevention may start from suicid... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965435 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:58:53 +0100 965435 Patterns of parental bereavement following the loss of a child and related factors. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=965434&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17944312%26dopt%3DAbstract This study investigated the patterns of parental bereavement in 20 parents who have lost a child to cancer, congenital heart disease, meningitis, or drowning in the last 19 months, using semi-structured interviews and standardized questionnaires of depression and grief. Qualitative content analysis of interviews identified three bereavement patterns: The majority of parents (65%) presented uncomplicated, Integrated Grief five mothers were Consumed by Grief and one mother and one father expressed Minimal Grief. Quotes from parents exemplified these patterns. Parental gender, symptoms of depression, and pre-death relationship between parents and their deceased child differentially related to these patterns. Having surviving children, social support, and being active appeared to help to integ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=965434 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:58:53 +0100 965434 In Marie's memory: the rights of the child with life-threatening or terminal illness. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922723&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11652550%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Meagher DK, Leff PT PMID: 11652550 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922723 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922723 The sentiment argument for artificial feeding of the dying. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922722&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11652551%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Connelly RJ PMID: 11652551 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922722 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922722 Doctor, am I dead? A review of social death in modern societies. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922719&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11656136%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sweeting HN, Gilhooly ML PMID: 11656136 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922719 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922719 When altruism fails: reactions of unrelated bone marrow donors when the recipient dies. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922717&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16044608%26dopt%3DAbstract This article examines the responses of bone marrow donors to the death of the unrelated person to whom they donated. Data analyzed were 330 questionnaires and fifty in-depth interviews collected from donors in the National Marrow Donor Program at one year post-donation. Death of the recipient produced feelings of guilt and responsibility in the donors in only a few cases (2% of donors from questionnaire data and 2 of the 23 donors interviewed). Grief occurred often (22 of 23 donors interviewed) and was often surprisingly intense, given the fact that the recipient was a stranger. Intensity of grief varied depending on the perceived relationship with the recipient. Our data indicate that limiting contact and/or information about the recipient to the donor would be unlikely to result in more ... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922717 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922717 Life ownership orientation and attitudes toward abortion, suicide, doctor-assisted suicide, and capital punishment. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922716&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11656297%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ross LT, Kaplan KJ PMID: 11656297 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922716 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922716 Cryonic suspension: an Omega interview with R.C.W. Ettinger. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922713&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11652931%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kastenbaum R, Ettinger R PMID: 11652931 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922713 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922713 The philosophy and practice of patient control in hospice: the dynamics of autonomy versus paternalism. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922712&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11652932%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mesler MA PMID: 11652932 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922712 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922712 Measuring attitudes toward euthanasia. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922711&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11654176%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Holloway HD, Hayslip B, Murdock ME, Maloy R, Servaty HL, Henard K, Lopez L, Lysaght R, Moreno G, Moroney T, Smith D, White S PMID: 11654176 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922711 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922711 Advance directives and the Self-Determination Act: a patient's perspective. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922710&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11654340%26dopt%3DAbstract Advance directives and the Self-Determination Act: a patient's perspective. Omega (Westport). 1994-1995;30(4):249-56 Authors: Pugh D, West DJ PMID: 11654340 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922710 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922710 Nick Loving and Dr. Jack Kevorkian: an Omega interview with Carol Loving. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922707&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11654967%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kastenbaum R, Loving C, McMahon P PMID: 11654967 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922707 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922707 How health care institutions in the Netherlands approach physician assisted death. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922706&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11654968%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van der Kloot Meijburg HH PMID: 11654968 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922706 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922706 A response to Logue's "Where hospice fails -- the limits of palliative care. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922705&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11658195%26dopt%3DAbstract A response to Logue's "Where hospice fails -- the limits of palliative care. Omega (Westport). 1995-1996;32(1):1-5 Authors: Saunders C PMID: 11658195 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922705 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922705 Rejoinder to Saunders. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922704&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11658196%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Logue BJ PMID: 11658196 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922704 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922704 Natural law and the "right to die". http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922702&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15719501%26dopt%3DAbstract This article attempts to examine the theory of natural law to determine whether it may provide a consistent standard for resolving these difficult questions. As natural law theories are traced through history, they lead directly to the United States where a uniquely American interpretation became one of the foundational principles for our constitution. By applying these theories to the contemporary question of the "right to die," natural law can again provide the foundational principles needed to develop standards for dealing with such questions that are consistent with our historical, philosophical, and political traditions. PMID: 15719501 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922702 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922702 Physician assisted suicide: a scale and some empirical findings. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922701&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11655142%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Domino G, Kempton S, Cavender J PMID: 11655142 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922701 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922701 Advance directives in nursing homes: resident and facility characteristics. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922700&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11656918%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Castle NG PMID: 11656918 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922700 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922700 Grief and abortion: mizuko kuyo, the Japanese ritual resolution. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922699&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11657523%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Klass D, Heath AO PMID: 11657523 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922699 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922699 Openness of health professionals about death and terminal illness in a Nigerian teaching hospital. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922698&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11655258%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Adamolekun K PMID: 11655258 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922698 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922698 Trust in physicians to honor death related instructions. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922697&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11655259%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Huber R, Evans VC PMID: 11655259 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922697 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922697 The case of Dr. Kevorkian and Mr. Gale: a brief historical note. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922694&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11656811%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kaplan KJ PMID: 11656811 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922694 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922694 Attitudes toward assisted suicide and euthanasia among physicians in South Carolina and Washington. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922693&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11657110%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dickinson GE, Lancaster CJ, Sumner ED, Cohen JS PMID: 11657110 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922693 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922693 An expanded typology of suicide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922692&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11657111%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wooddell V, Kaplan KJ PMID: 11657111 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922692 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922692 The medicalization of dying: a positive turn on a new path. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922690&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D11660661%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Connelly RJ PMID: 11660661 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Omega) Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922690 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922690 To be or not to be: the effects of aging stereotypes on the will to live. http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922684&cid=s_36421_78_f&fid=36421&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D12557880%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined whether stereotypes of aging might contribute to decisions the elderly make about when to die. Old and young participants (N=64) were subliminally primed with either negative or positive stereotypes of old age and then responded to hypothetical medical situations involving potentially fatal illnesses. Consistent with our prediction, the aged participants primed with negative stereotypes tended to refuse life-prolonging interventions, whereas the old participants primed with positive age stereotypes tended to accept the interventions. This priming effect did not emerge among the young participants for whom the stereotypes were less relevant. The results suggest that societally-transmitted negative stereotypes of aging can weaken elderly people's will to live. PMID: 1... Omega journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922684 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:43:11 +0100 922684