Abstract
4/2021
vol. 13
Original paper
Fear of death in medical professionals and social workers
- Katedra Rewalidacji, Resocjalizacji i Opieki Długoterminowej, Instytut Nauk Pedagogicznych, Wydział Filozofii i Nauk Społecznych, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu
Medycyna Paliatywna 2021; 13(4): 228–234
Online publish date: 2022/03/10
This study aimed to learn how professional helpers perceive or think about the fear of their death, its causes, and ways of dealing with it by employees in professional assisting facilities. In 2010-2014, the authors carried out an international questionnaire-based research project on the perception of fear of death in the context of thanatopedagogical relational replacement therapy on 791 medical care professionals and social workers. Regardless of demographic factors, the respondents pointed to loneliness and fear as the aspects of death in a similar way. Most of the respondents admitted the abandonment of relatives and relatives’ suffering due to their death. There are significant differences between nationalities in some types of fear, such as the fear of being buried alive or leaving matters unfinished. Anxiety related to the perception of death is an existential experience that can occur among medical professionals and social workers.
Keywords
death, fear of death, social workers, medical professionals, thanatopedagogy
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