Use of the Classic Hallucinogen Psilocybin for Treatment of Existential Distress Associated with Cancer

2012 ◽  
pp. 291-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Grob ◽  
Anthony P. Bossis ◽  
Roland R. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Existential Distress

scholarly journals The role of attachment avoidance: A longitudinal mediation model predicting existential distress in patients with advanced cancer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Philipp ◽  
Anja Mehnert‐Theuerkauf ◽  
Susan Koranyi ◽  
Martin Härter ◽  
Sigrun Vehling
Keyword(s):  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Longitudinal Mediation ◽  
Existential Distress

526-P: Prevalence and Predictors of Spiritual/Existential Distress among Adults with Uncontrolled Diabetes

Diabetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 526-P
Author(s):  
GEILA RAJAEE ◽  
MICHELE HEISLER ◽  
JOHN PIETTE ◽  
KENNETH RESNICOW ◽  
XU SHI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Existential Distress ◽  
Uncontrolled Diabetes

Spiritual and Existential Issues in the Care of the Dying

2014 ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
William S. Breitbart
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Terminal Illness ◽  
Spiritual Community ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Interventions ◽  
Existential Distress ◽  
Spiritual Issues ◽  
Cognitive Therapies ◽  
Loss Of Dignity ◽  
Existential Issues ◽  
Existential Concerns

Spirituality is important in the lives of patients with serious illnesses. Terminally patients may experience a number of spiritual issues, including lack of meaning, guilt, shame, hopelessness, loss of dignity, loneliness, anger toward God, abandonment by God, feeling out of control, grief, and spiritual suffering. Assessment of a patient’s spiritual beliefs, assessing the importance of spirituality in his or her life, exploring whether he or she belongs to a spiritual community, and offering chaplaincy referral or connection with the patient’s religious or spiritual leaders comprise essential components of a spiritual assessment. Psycho-oncologists should seek both specialized training, as well as referrals to appropriate sources, in order to help patients deal more effectively with the often complicated and painful spiritual issues that arise as a consequence of serious illness. Existential concerns are intrinsic to the human experience of facing mortality in palliative care settings. Patients diagnosed with terminal cancer often confront universal existential issues such as death anxiety, isolation, and meaninglessness. Psycho-oncologists must therefore be familiar with these existential concerns, their manifestations, and approaches to deal with existential issues. Psycho-oncologists have the unique ability to use a variety of psychotherapeutic interventions to alleviate existential distress in palliative care settings including cognitive therapies to help patients and families modify their appraisal of their lives with terminal illness, known as cognitive restructuring, life review techniques to facilitate a constructive reappraisal of life events, dignity-conserving therapies, and meaning-centered therapies have been shown to effectively reduce existential distress in this patient population.

scholarly journals QOLP-06. EXISTENTIAL DISTRESS: UNADDRESSED CONCERNS FOR ADULT NEURO-ONCOLOGY PATIENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi198-vi198
Author(s):  
Ashlee Loughan ◽  
Sarah Braun ◽  
Mariya Husain ◽  
Farah Aslanzadeh ◽  
Rachel Boutte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Fear Of Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Oncology Patients ◽  
Existential Distress ◽  
Fear Of Cancer

Abstract BACKGROUND Primary brain tumor (PBT) patients may experience existential distress including fear of cancer recurrence and death anxiety; however, to date few have examined this issue. The objectives of this study were twofold: first, to systematically review PBT representation in the psycho-oncology literature on existential distress, and second, to preliminarily assess the prevalence and correlates of existential distress in a sample of PBT patients. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE METHODS/ RESULTS Three databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL) were systematically searched to identify articles measuring fear of cancer recurrence, fear of dying, or death anxiety in oncology patients. Included studies were examined to determine the frequency of PBT patients and identify exclusion criteria relevant to neuro-oncology. For studies including PBT patients, a more thorough data extraction was undertaken. Systematic searching found 336 studies meeting inclusion criteria (N=133,027). Eight studies (0.16% of the participants) included PBT patients. Exclusion criteria such as cognitive impairment and specific treatment parameters may have prohibited PBT patient participation. Studies including PBT patients used mixed methods with limited demographic analyses; existential distress was correlated with heightened psychological distress and poor quality of life. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE METHODS/ RESULTS A cross-sectional analysis of 81 PBT patients (20–86 years old) was conducted. Patients completed validated questionnaires of death anxiety, death distress, generalized anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, chi-square, and Pearson correlations were conducted. Up to 79% of PBT patients endorsed death anxiety. These patients were significantly younger, more likely to be female, and have a low-grade brain tumor (p< 0.05). Significant correlations were found between death anxiety and distress and symptoms of anxiety and depression (p< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS PBT patients are underrepresented in existential psycho-oncology literature, despite preliminary findings suggesting prevalence of these concerns. Future investigations of existential distress in neuro-oncology is warranted to inform psychosocial screening and treatment for PBT patients.

The Physician’s Role in Responding to Existential Suffering: What Does It Mean to Comfort Always?

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-12
Author(s):  
Hermioni L. Amonoo ◽  
Jennifer H. Harris ◽  
William S. Murphy ◽  
Janet L. Abrahm ◽  
John R. Peteet
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Time Constraints ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Existential Suffering ◽  
Existential Distress ◽  
Existential Needs ◽  
Instrumental Role

Existential suffering is commonly experienced by patients with serious medical illnesses despite the advances in the treatment of physical and psychological symptoms that often accompany incurable diseases. Palliative care (PC) clinicians wishing to help these patients are faced with many barriers including the inability to identify existential suffering, lack of training in how to address it, and time constraints. Although mental health and spiritual care providers play an instrumental role in addressing the existential needs of patients, PC clinicians are uniquely positioned to coordinate the necessary resources for addressing existential suffering in their patients. With this article, we present a case of a patient in existential distress and a framework to equip PC clinicians to assess and address existential suffering.

scholarly journals Various forms of existential distress are associated with aggressive tendencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wijnand A.P. van Tilburg ◽  
Eric R. Igou ◽  
Paul J. Maher ◽  
Joseph Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Existential Distress

scholarly journals Improving Dignity of Care in Community-Dwelling Elderly Patients with Cognitive Decline and Their Caregivers. The Role of Dignity Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Heifa Ounalli ◽  
David Mamo ◽  
Ines Testoni ◽  
Martino Belvederi Murri ◽  
Rosangela Caruso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Anticipatory Grief ◽  
Dignity Therapy ◽  
Existential Distress ◽  
Age Related

Demographic changes have placed age-related mental health disorders at the forefront of public health challenges over the next three decades worldwide. Within the context of cognitive impairment and neurocognitive disorders among elderly people, the fragmentation of the self is associated with existential suffering, loss of meaning and dignity for the patient, as well as with a significant burden for the caregiver. Psychosocial interventions are part of a person-centered approach to cognitive impairment (including early stage dementia and dementia). Dignity therapy (DT) is a therapeutic intervention that has been shown to be effective in reducing existential distress, mood, and anxiety symptoms and improving dignity in persons with cancer and other terminal conditions in palliative care settings. The aims of this paper were: (i) To briefly summarize key issues and challenges related to care in gerontology considering specifically frail elderly/elderly with cognitive decline and their caregivers; and (ii) to provide a narrative review of the recent knowledge and evidence on DT in the elderly population with cognitive impairment. We searched the electronic data base (CINAHL, SCOPUS, PSycInfo, and PubMed studies) for studies regarding the application of DT in the elderly. Additionally, given the caregiver’s role as a custodian of diachronic unity of the cared-for and the need to help caregivers to cope with their own existential distress and anticipatory grief, we also propose a DT-dyadic approach addressing the needs of the family as a whole.

scholarly journals Existential distress among healthcare providers caring for patients at the end of life

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Pessin ◽  
Natalie Fenn ◽  
Ellen Hendriksen ◽  
Antonio P. DeRosa ◽  
Allison Applebaum
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Existential Distress
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