Desire to die in terminally ill people: a framework for assessment and intervention.
"Desire-to-die" statements made by people with terminal illness may be expressions of depression, suicidal intent, or coping. Careful evaluation can help the social worker understand the meaning of a particular patient's statement. The framework presented in this article suggests that all patients expressing a wish for death be assessed for both depression and suicide risk. This assessment can identify those patients who are depressed or suicidal, as well as those using these statements as a way of coping or as an indication of a rational choice for suicide. Differentiating among patients' meanings in this way leads to appropriate interventions.
Van Loon
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School of Social Work, University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. ruth.anne.vanloon@uc.edu
D001293:Attitude to Death; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric / Q000379:methods; D013405:Suicide; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*