PSY333 – Chapter 12
Chapter 12 – Psychological Issues in Advancing and Terminal Illness
During the first year of life, the main cause of death are congenital
abnormalities and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), with three
babies dying of SIDS each week in Canada
o Cause is not entirely known, the infant just stops breathing
o It’s more likely to occur in lower-class urban environments, when the
mother smoked during pregnancy, and when the baby is put to sleep
on the stomach or side
Cancer, especially leukemia, is the second leading cause of death in
youngsters between ages 1 and 15, and its incidence is rising
o Leukemia strikes the bone marrow, producing excessive amounts of
white blood cells and leading to sever anemia and other complications
o More than 80% of its victims survive the disease thanks to
technological advances
Up to age 5 or 6 most children think of death as a great sleep
o Children at this age or more curious than frightened about death,
partly because they don’t know it’s irreversible and final
Between ages 5 to 9, the idea that death is final may develop, although most
children of this age do not have a biological understanding of death
o For some children, death is personified as a shadowy figure
The idea that death is universal and inevitable may not develop until 9 or 10
o Child typically understands the process of death (burial/cremation),
knows that the body decomposes, and realizes that the person who
has died will not return
In the age 15 to 24, death rate is low but the main cause of death is
unintentional injury, usually involving automobiles
o Suicide is the second leading cause of death, homicide is 4 th
o Heart disease, respiratory disease and congenital account for most of
the remaining
Young adults diagnosed with a terminal illness are the hardest to work with,
they tend to be angry because they are (otherwise) not sick and they’re still
young with incomplete lives
Death is more feared in middle age than in later adult years
o The mid-life crisis may occur in the 40’s/50’s because it may stem
from the gradual realization of impending death it may be realized
by the death of a parent, acquaintance, friend or by bodily signs that
one is aging
The main cause of premature death in adulthood (that is, death that occurs
before the projected age of 79) is sudden death due to heart attack or stroke
One study found that the likelihood of a family member dying before the age
of 65 was increased for those who experienced a variety of different adverse
childhood events including neglect, abuse, domestic violence in the home,
and criminal acts by a family member
The elderly are generally more prepared to face death than anyone else PSY333 – Chapter 12
o Typically the elderly die of degenerative disease such as cancer,
stroke, heart failure, or just general physical decline
o The terminal phase of illness is generally shorter for them because
there is often more than one biological competitor for death
In Canada, older people age 65 and up now experience less morbidity and
fewer restricted activity days than was true 15 years ago, but the same is not
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