[5] These cultural differences affect people's lifestyles, behaviors, and approach to death and dying.
[7] In Chinese culture, death is viewed as the end of life — there is no afterlife — resulting in negative perceptions of dying.
[8] These attitudes towards death and dying originate from the three dominant religions in China: Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
[9] In some cultures of the South Pacific, life is believed to leave a person's body when they are sick or asleep, making for multiple "deaths" in the span of one lifetime.
CPR is a procedure consisting of cycles of chest compressions and ventilation support with the goal of maintaining blood flow and oxygen to the vital organs of the body.
This process integrates medical care, pain management, as well as social and emotional support provided by social workers and other members of the healthcare team including family physicians, nurses, counselors, trained volunteers, and home health aides.
The developed theories and models are intended to serve helpers in the accompaniment of terminally ill people above anything else.
Particularly highlighted psychosocial aspects are: Total Pain (C. Saunders), Acceptance (J. M. Hinton, Kübler-Ross), Awareness/Insecurity (B.Glaser, A.Strauß), Response to Challenges (E.S.Shneidman), Appropriateness (A. D. Weisman),[17] Autonomy (H.Müller-Busch[18]), Fear (R. Kastenbaum,[19] G.D.Borasio) and Ambivalence (E. Engelke[20]).
[23][24] The phases are associated with shock, dizziness, and uncertainty at the first symptoms and diagnosis; changing emotional states and thoughts, efforts to maintain control over one's own life; withdrawal, grief over lost abilities, and suffering from the imminent loss of one's own existence; finally psycho-physical decline.
In her work, Kübler-Ross compiled various preexisting findings of Thanatology published by John Hinton, Cicely Saunders, Barney G. Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss and others.
Her key message was that the people aiding must first clarify their own fears and life problems ("unfinished business") as far as possible and accept their own death before they can turn to the dying in a helpful way.
Based on research findings from several sciences, Robert J. Kastenbaum says, "Individuality and universality combine in dying.
Influencing factors are age, gender, interpersonal relationships, the type of illness, the environment in which treatment takes place, religion, and culture.
According to this, all terminally ill people have in common that they are confronted with realizations, responsibilities, and constraints that are typical of dying.
In Engelke's model, the personal and unique aspects of death result from the interaction of many factors in coping with the realizations, responsibilities, and constraints.
Important factors include the following: the genetic make-up, personality, life experience, physical, psychological, social, financial, religious, and spiritual resources; the type, degree, and duration of the disease, the consequences and side effects of treatment, the quality of medical treatment and care, the material surroundings (i.e. furnishings of the apartment, clinic, home); and the expectations, norms, and behavior of relatives, carers, doctors and the public.
[37] Along with medical professionals and relatives, sociologists and psychologists also engage in the question of whether it is ethical to inform terminally ill patients of the infaust prognosis, or the uncertain diagnosis.