Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/191743

Title

Dignity therapy: a novel psychotherapeutic intervention for patients near the end of life

Author(s)

Chochinov, Harvey Max;  Hack, Thomas;  Hassard, Thomas;  Kristjanson, Linda J.;  McClement, Susan;  Harlos, Mike

Abstract

This study examined a novel intervention, dignity therapy, designed to address psychosocial and existential distress among terminally ill patients. Dignity therapy invites 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. Terminally ill inpatients and those receiving home-based palliative care services in Winnipeg, Canada, and Perth, 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. 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 helpful to 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). Dignity therapy shows promise as a novel therapeutic intervention for suffering and distress at the end of life.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 23, no. 24 (Aug 2005), pp. 5520-5525

Publication year

2005

FOR Code(s)

1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis

Keyword(s)

Adaptive behaviour;  Clinical trials;  Depression;  Dignity therapy;  Human dignity;  Mental stress;  Neoplasm;  Palliative therapy;  Patient satisfaction;  Psychological aspects;  Psychotherapy;  Quality of life;  Rectum cancer;  Religion;  Right to die;  Spirituality;  Suicidal ideation;  Terminal care

Publisher

American Society of Clinical Oncology

ISSN

0732-183X

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2005.08.391

Copyright

Copyright © 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Peer reviewed