title: Psychosocial and spiritual problems of terminally ill patients in Kerala, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate psychosocial and spiritual problems of terminally ill patients in Kerala, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured qualitative interviews of terminally ill patients were carried out at the Trivandrum Institute of Palliative Sciences Palliative Care Clinic in Trivandrum, Kerala, India and in patients' homes in the surrounding area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interviews with 37 terminally ill patients in Kerala showed several problems regarding their emotional state, faith, knowledge about the disease, family life and the major impact of financial issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that more effort should be focused on the reduction of the problems terminally ill patients have to face. While many of these problems are a result of financial troubles and could be eliminated if sufficient funds were available, others are a consequence of tradition and culture. Solutions for the improvement of patients' situations in accord with tradition and culture have to be found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. felsner@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elsner
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rajagopal
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Radbruch
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pestinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D029181:Spirituality; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*