Attitudes of the critically ill towards prolonging life: The role of social support

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
S. Sudha, Associate Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Desires to prolong life were investigated in a hospitalized sample of 212 persons over age 50 whose illnesses were severe and who had an average life expectancy of six to twelve months. The importance of social support was emphasized in defining the context in which the stressors of unfinished business and fear of death prompted desires to prolong life. Interactions existed in predicting desires for prolonging life based on ethnicity and whether respondents did or did not have sustained family contact. Family contact and salience increased the desire to live longer for African Americans, but not for Whites.

Additional Information

Publication
The Gerontologist, 37, 192-199, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/37.2.192
Language: English
Date: 1997
Keywords
ethnicity, family, death and dying

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