Death anxiety in leukemic Chinese children.
The pattern of psychopathology in Chinese leukemic children as compared to Chinese children with orthopaedic disorder was studied through analysis of their respective responses to the Children's Apperception Test. Leukemic children were found to exhibit a distinctly different pattern of psychopathology and psychological defenses. Isolation, detachment and denial were commonly used to defend against their insecurity, abstract fears and uncertainties. Themes relating to parental misunderstandings and maltreatment were also elicited. These findings are discussed in relation to the Chinese conception of death as a taboo subject. Recommendations are made for a better psychological management of fatally ill children and their parents.
D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003469:Culture; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000523:psychology*; D011386:Projective Techniques