10: Death and Dying
- Page ID
- 384854
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Chapter Overview
Death is a universal yet deeply personal experience shaped by biological, psychological, social, cultural, and religious factors. In this chapter, you will explore how death is defined, the leading causes of death, and how people's understanding of death changes across the lifespan. You will examine end-of-life care options, advance care planning, and the cultural and ethical considerations that influence end-of-life decisions. The chapter also explores funeral practices, grief, bereavement, and mourning, highlighting the diverse ways individuals and communities cope with loss and find meaning after death.
- 10.1: Death and Dying
- Definitions of death, including clinical death and social death. Physical changes of the death process among those whose death is expected.
- 10.2: Most Common Causes of Death
- The most common causes of death globally and in the U.S., with specific discussions of COVID-19 impact, suicide, and drug overdoses.
- 10.3: Where Do People Die?
- Statistics of the locations where people die, in the U.S. and globally.
- 10.4: Developmental Perceptions of Death and Death Anxiety
- How perceptions of the concept of death change as we develop from early childhood to late adulthood.
- 10.5: Curative, Palliative, and Hospice Care
- The different types of illness treatment chosen based on an individual’s age, type of illness, and personal beliefs about dying: curative, palliative, and hospice care. How family members act as caregivers for palliative and hospice care, and the consequences for these caregivers.
- 10.6: Advanced Directives
- Overview of the major types of documents pertaining to end-of-life care, also known as advanced care planning.
- 10.7: Cultural Differences in End-of-Life Decisions
- Cultural factors that influence communication by healthcare providers and family members with patients, the expectations regarding who makes the healthcare decisions, and attitudes about end-of-life care. Variations in these aspects globally and within the U.S.
- 10.8: Euthanasia
- Classifications of euthanasia, including physician-assisted death. Specific focus on legislation legalizing physician-assisted death in both the U.S. and worldwide, and controversies surrounding the concept of physician-assisted death.
- 10.9: Religious and Cultural Practices After Death
- Funeral practices and their impact on survivors and the environment. Includes an overview of various religious funeral rites, as well as the growing trend of green burials.
- 10.10: Grief, Bereavement, and Mourning
- The differences between grief, bereavement, and mourning. Categories and models of grief, and the definition of prolonged grief disorder.