Psychology of Death

Factors Contributing to Death Denial  1) Secularization of American Society  2) Deritualization of Grief  3) Growth of Medical Technology Around the Dying  4) Increased Unrealistic Attention and Focus on Death

Denial of Death  3 primary styles of denial: 1) simply ignore death 1) simply ignore death 2) lessen the harshness of death 2) lessen the harshness of death 3) distorted preoccupation with death 3) distorted preoccupation with death

Fear of Death  3 primary categories of fear: 1) Fear of the Process of Dying 1) Fear of the Process of Dying 2) Fear of the Loss of Life 2) Fear of the Loss of Life 3) Fear of What Happens After Death 3) Fear of What Happens After Death

Death Anxiety  4 measurement instruments: 1) Death Anxiety Scale (Templer) 1) Death Anxiety Scale (Templer) 2) Threat Index (Krieger, Epting and Leitner) 2) Threat Index (Krieger, Epting and Leitner) 3) Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale 3) Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale 4) Holter Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale 4) Holter Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale

Patterns of Response to Death  1) Death Acceptance  2) Death Defiance  3) Death Denial

Cultural Diversity and Funeral Practices  1) Jewish Religion and Culture  2) African-American Culture  3) Native American Culture  4) Mexican-American Culture

Childhood Awareness of Death  Nagy Level 1 (birth to age 5) Level 1 (birth to age 5) Level 2 (ages 5-9) Level 2 (ages 5-9) Level 3 (ages 9 and up) Level 3 (ages 9 and up)  Piaget  Grollman birth to 3 years birth to 3 years 3-5 years 3-5 years 5-9 years 5-9 years 9 years and up 9 years and up  Canine and Dates

Factors Influencing How a Child Interprets Death  Developmental Stage  Personality  Life Experiences  Emotional Support

Explaining Death to Children  Grollman: what not to say Make believe stories or fairy tales Make believe stories or fairy tales Something you don’t believe yourself Something you don’t believe yourself “Mother has gone on a long journey” “Mother has gone on a long journey” “God took Daddy away because He wants and loves the good in heaven” “God took Daddy away because He wants and loves the good in heaven” “Daddy is now in heaven” “Daddy is now in heaven” “Grandma dies because she was sick” “Grandma dies because she was sick” “To die is to sleep” “To die is to sleep”

Explaining Death to Children (cont’d)  Grollman: what to say Share your own religious convictions with your own child only. Share your own religious convictions with your own child only. Speak in concrete terms rather than philosophical ones. Speak in concrete terms rather than philosophical ones. Grant permission to cry and express feelings. Grant permission to cry and express feelings. Acknowledge when you do not know the answer. Acknowledge when you do not know the answer.

Young Adults  Piaget: Capable of concepts of time, space and causality Capable of concepts of time, space and causality Can hypothesize, theorize and personalize Can hypothesize, theorize and personalize Form abstract ideas about the nature of death Form abstract ideas about the nature of death Formulate their own theologies Formulate their own theologies Males and females differ in their orientations Males and females differ in their orientations Death-related issues are “acted out” Death-related issues are “acted out”

Midlife  Death Issues: Caring for a dying parent Caring for a dying parent Death of a parent validates one’s own mortality Death of a parent validates one’s own mortality Must find balance between society’s emphasis on youthfulness and a physical body that is getting older Must find balance between society’s emphasis on youthfulness and a physical body that is getting older

Geriatric  Place a greater emphasis on life and living  Generally not intimidated by death  Many are accepting of the closeness of death  Have a lower death anxiety than younger age groups  Widows have more physical symptoms than widowers