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dc.contributor.authorChochinov, H.
dc.contributor.authorHack, T.
dc.contributor.authorHassard, T.
dc.contributor.authorKristjanson, Linda
dc.contributor.authorMcClement, S.
dc.contributor.authorHarlos, M.
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-30T15:27:54Z
dc.date.available2017-01-30T15:27:54Z
dc.date.created2010-03-23T20:02:53Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.identifier.citationChochinov, Harvey and Hack, Thomas and Hassard, Thomas and Kristjanson, Linda and McClement, Susan and Harlos, Mike. 2005. Dignity Therapy: A Novel Psychotherapeutic Intervention for Patients Near the End of Life. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 23 (24): pp. 5520-5525.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/46540
dc.description.abstract

Purpose: This study examined a novel intervention, dignity therapy, designed to address psychosocial and existential distress among terminally ill patients. Dignity therapy invited patients to discuss issues that matter most or that they would most want remembered. Sessions are transcribed and edited, with a returned final version that they can bequeath to a friend or family member. The objective of this study was to establish the feasibility of dignity therapy and determine its impact on various measures of psychosocial and existential distress. Patients and Methods: Terminally ill inpatients adn those receiving home-based palliative care services in Winnipeg, Canada and Perth, Western Australia, were asked to complete pre- and postintervention measures of sense of dignity, depression, suffering, and hopelessness; sense of purpose, sense of meaning, desire for death, will to live, and suicidality; and a postintervention satisfaction survey.Results: Ninety-one percent of participants reported being satisfied with dignity therapy; 76% reported a heightened sense of dignity; 68% reported an increased sense of purpose; 67% reported a heightened sense of meaning; 47% reported an increased will to live; and 81% reported that it had been or would be of help to their family. Postintervention measures of suffering showed significant improvement (P= .023) and reduced depressive symptoms (P= .05). Finding dignity therapy helpfulto their family correlated with life feeling more meaningful (r= 0.480; P= .000) and having a sense of purpose (r= 0.562; P= .000), accompanied by a lessened sense of suffering (r= 0.327; P= .001) and increased will to live (r= 0.387; P= .000). Conclusion: Dignity therapy shows promise as a novel therapeutic intervention for suffering and distress at the end of life.

dc.publisherAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology
dc.titleDignity Therapy: A Novel Psychotherapeutic Intervention for Patients Near the End of Life
dc.typeJournal Article
dcterms.source.volume23
dcterms.source.number24
dcterms.source.startPage5520
dcterms.source.endPage5525
dcterms.source.issn0732 183X
dcterms.source.titleJournal of Clinical Oncology
curtin.departmentWA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care (WACCPC)
curtin.accessStatusFulltext not available
curtin.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
curtin.facultyNursing and Midwifery
curtin.facultyWestern Australian Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care (WACCP)


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