Existentiella samtal inom hälso- och sjukvård: Kuratorers erfarenheter av samtal om döden

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore hospital social workers’ experiences of conversations about death with patients and their family, what factors prevent and facilitate these conversations and how they deal with their own reactions and emotions. The following themes emerged; perspectives on conversations about death, the hospital social worker’s approach to conversations about death, and barriers and facilitating factors which shows that hospital social workers consider conversations about death as an important part of the psychosocial support. The conversations involve aspects such as death anxiety, thoughts of no longer being there, what happens after death, thoughts of leaving their loved ones, but also include life issues and joy. Obstacles to the conversations are their fear of awakening thoughts and emotions difficult for the patient to handle, and their own unprocessed experiences. Facilitating factors are previous experience, commitment, and interest in the patient or in existential.