CHAPTER 13: DEATH AND AFTERLIFE BELIEFS DEP 2004 Human
Development Across the Lifespan Based on Human Development: A
Cultural Approach (Arnett) & Human Development: A Lifespan View
(Kail & Cavanaugh) Slide 2 GUIDING QUESTIONS Why do we grow
old? Can we delay the aging process? What is the Kubler-Ross theory
of death and dying? How do individuals cope with death throughout
the lifespan? Slide 3 CAUSES OF AGING Cellular clock (the Hayflick
limit)replication limit is about 50x Telomeresthe part of the cell
DNA at the end of the chromosomes Shrink over time Become to short
to replicate Contribute to disease and lead to aging Free
radicalscell damaging, unstable oxygen molecules with an unrepaired
electroncontribute to diseases Slide 4 Slide 5 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?
Antioxidants Prevent cell damage by free radicals by absorbing the
extra electron Found in fruits and vegetables Growth hormone
reduces some effects of aging temporarily but also has serious side
effects Calorie restriction may extend longevity Slide 6 BELIEFS
ABOUT DEATH Young children realize that death is permanent but do
not yet realize it is inevitable Euphemisms are confusing to them
Belief in an afterlife can make death seem less permanent Realize
it is inevitable in middle childhood Adolescents have a better
understanding of the abstract concept of death but may be
influenced by belief in a personal fable Slide 7 BELIEFS ABOUT ONES
OWN DEATH Highest in emerging adulthood because of personal goals
Young adults fear for the well-being of their children and fear
their childrens deaths Middle adults become more aware of death and
more focused on their goals Fear of death lowest for those who are
highly religious Slide 8 BELIEFS IN LATE ADULTHOOD State of life
associated with the least amount of anxiety and fear Sense of
accomplishment Ego integrity Reduction in the joy of living
(chronic illness, pain, loss of many peers) Fears: suffering, pain,
loss of control, grief of loved ones Slide 9 COPING WITH DEATH
Psychological problems may cause problems with impending death
Reactions to impending death can vary in its development,
especially with different causes of terminal illness Reduction can
be achieved by contemplating ones own death by writing ones own
obituary, planning ones own funeral, etc. Death education strives
to address death anxiety by presenting factual information about
death and reducing sensitivity to the issues involved Slide 10
KUBLER-ROSS THEORY Elisabeth Kubler-Ross began working with
terminally ill patients During this time, terminally ill patients
were not always told they were dying, and death was not generally a
topic of discussion. Her research was controversial Kubler-Ross
began to study patients reactions to their terminal illness and
found that most people experienced certain emotional states Slide
11 KUBLER-ROSS STAGES OF DYING Denial - Shock and disbelief Anger -
Hostility and resentment Bargaining - Looking for a way out
Depression - No longer able to deny, patients experience sadness
and loss Acceptance - Acceptance of the inevitability of death with
peace and detachment Though not all people experience all stages in
the same order, discussion of death helps to move toward acceptance
Slide 12 A CONTEXTUAL THEORY OF DYING Stage theories imply order to
the transition toward acceptance that may not exist in many cases
Stage theories do not state what moves a person through the stages
Observations suggest that people vary greatly in the duration of a
particular stage There is no single correct way to die Each persons
own view of their death and need for health care may impact their
movement through the stages Slide 13 THOSE LEFT BEHIND: THE
GRIEVING PROCESS Bereavement is the state or condition caused by
loss through death Grief is the sorrow, hurt, anger, guilt,
confusion, and other feelings that arise after suffering a loss
Mourning is the way in which we express our grief Mourning rituals
vary by culture but can be fairly standard across the culture Grief
often varies widely across cultures Slide 14 THE GRIEF PROCESS
People aim to: Acknowledge the realty of the loss Work through the
emotional turmoil Adjust to the environment where the deceased is
absent Loosen the ties to the deceased Slide 15 VARIABILITY It is
important to remember that grief is a process No two people grieve
exactly the same We must not underestimate the length of time
people need to deal with the various issues. One year is needed and
2 years may be required Slide 16 RISK FACTORS IN GRIEF Mode of
death affects the grief process. When death is anticipated, people
experience anticipatory grief that allows for working through some
of the issues ahead of time The strength of attachment to the
deceased makes a difference in the amount of time and difficulty of
the grief process Two risk factors have been researched: lack of
social support and kinship Slide 17 COMMON GRIEF REACTIONS Coming
to terms with bereavement is called grief work Grief work consists
of coping, affect, change, and relationship Many people experience
anniversary reactions, which are changes in behavior related to
feelings of sadness on the date of the loss Slide 18 TRAUMATIC
GRIEF Traumatic grief involves Symptoms of separation distress -
preoccupation with the deceased to the point that it interferes
with everyday functions Symptoms of traumatic distress - mistrust,
anger, and detachment from others Slide 19 CHILDHOOD GRIEF
Bereavement in childhood usually does not have long-lasting effects
such as depression, if the child gets adequate care A child may
have difficulty with the concept of death if adults are not open
and honest with them Childrens coping methods may include:
Regression Guilt for causing the death Denial Displacement Slide 20
ADOLESCENCE 50% of college students have experienced the loss of a
family member or friend in the past two years Young adolescents are
reluctant to express or discuss their grief and they may be more
likely to experience psychosomatic symptoms Slide 21 ADULTHOOD Loss
of a partner in young adulthood is very difficult because the loss
is so unexpected Losing a spouse in middle adulthood results in
challenging basic assumptions about self, relationships, and life
options Loss in middle adulthood may result in shifting of thinking
of how long they have lived to how much time they have left Slide
22 DEATH OF ONES PARTNER Society expects the surviving spouse to
mourn for a period of time. Different cultures have varying
acceptable lengths of time expectations The support system for the
bereaved spouse is very important in determining the duration and
outcome of grief Loss of a spouse leaves a positive bias for the
memory of the relationship with the deceased Slide 23 DEATH OF ONES
CHILD IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE ADULTHOOD Mourning is intense and some
never reconcile the loss Young parents who lose a child to SIDS
report high anxiety, more negative view of the world, and guilt A
parents attachment to a child begins before the birth and loss of a
child during childbirth can be very traumatic People are expected
by society to recover quickly from such an experience Older
bereaved parents may have guilt that the pain of a loss of a child
affected the relationships with surviving children Slide 24 DEATH
OF ONES PARENT When a parent dies, the loss hurts but also causes
the loss of a buffer between ourselves and death Death of a parent
may result in a loss of a source of guidance, support, and advice
The loss of a parent may result in complex emotions including
relief, guilt, and a feeling of freedom Slide 25 LATE ADULTHOOD
Older adults are often less anxious about death and more accepting
of it Elders may feel that their most important life tasks have
been completed Older adults are more likely to have experienced
loss before Bereaved grandparents tend to hide their grief behavior
in an attempt to shield the grieving parents from the level of
grief being felt
