Carers' Experiences of End-of-Life Care: A Scoping Review and Application of Personal Construct Psychology
Individuals who care for a family member or friend at end-of-life experience a range of practical and emotional challenges. This paper applies a theoretical framework of personal construct psychology (PCP) to explore carers' experiences of end-of-life care, with a focus on implications for thei...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Australian psychologist 2017-10, Vol.52 (5), p.372-380 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | Individuals who care for a family member or friend at end-of-life experience a range of practical and emotional challenges. This paper applies a theoretical framework of personal construct psychology (PCP) to explore carers' experiences of end-of-life care, with a focus on implications for their sense of identity.
Literature searches were conducted through PsycINFO, Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar for articles published since 2005 with a focus on carer experiences at end-of-life. Main themes identified through this literature review were considered in light of PCP theory, with particular attention on the notion of "threat" (i.e., an imminent and comprehensive change in a person's core identity structure). Implications were then drawn for providing practical carer support.
The reviewed literature highlighted carers' practical challenges at end-of-life (e.g., assisting with activities of daily living), emotional challenges (e.g., negotiating the imminent death of a family member or friend), and personal implications (e.g., sudden removal of caring responsibilities).
The constructivist notion of "threat" is a particularly salient concept for end-of-life carers as they negotiate the approaching death of a family member or friend. This can have significant ramifications for their sense of identity beyond bereavement. Clinical approaches based on PCP may effectively support end-of-life carers to develop identities beyond their caring role as they transition to a life without caring responsibilities. |
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ISSN: | 0005-0067 1742-9544 |
DOI: | 10.1111/ap.12278 |