Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Interpersonal factors predict increased desire for hastened death in late-stage cancer patients

  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background: Cancer patients at the end of life sometimes express a wish that death would come quickly, but this desire for hastened death (DHD) remains little understood. Relationships with spousal caregivers may play a role in patients’ DHD.Purpose: This study examined factors that could predict an increase in the DHD in late-stage cancer patients over the course of 4 months, including marital and caregiving variables that have not previously been examined.Method: itPatients completed the Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death and other measures, including the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Caregivers were asked how many hours they spent weekly in caregiving activities and completed the Caregiver Demands Scale. Approximately 4 months later, DHD was reassessed in surviving patients.Results: Sixty caregiver/patient dyads completed all measures. Desire for hastened death was generally low at both assessments; however, more depression and greater dyadic adjustment reported by patients, and more hours spent in caregiving activities by spouses, each independently predicted increased DHD in patients at the Time 2 assessment.Conclusions: Findings suggest that issues related to spousal caregivers play an important role in the course of DHD in cancer patients at the end of life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W, Stein K, et al.: Measuring desire for death among patients with HIV/AIDS: The Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death.American Journal of Psychiatry. 1999,156:94–100.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosenfeld B, Breitbart W, Galietta M, et al.: The Schedule of Attitudes Toward Hastened Death: Measuring desire for death in terminally ill cancer patients.Cancer. 2000,88:2868–2875.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Breitbart W, Rosenfeld B, Pessin H, et al.: Depression, hopelessness, and desire for hastened death in terminally ill patients with cancer.Journal of the American Medical Association. 2000,284:2907–2911.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kelly B, Burnett P, Pelusi D, et al.: Factors associated with the wish to hasten death: A study of patients with terminal illness.Psychological Medicine. 2003,33:75–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jones JM, Huggins MA, Rydall AC, Rodin GM: Symptomatic distress, hopelessness, and the desire for hastened death in hospitalized cancer patients.Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2003, 55:411–418.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Chochinov HM, Wilson KG, Enns M, et al.: Desire for death in the terminally ill.American Journal of Psychiatry. 1995,152:1185–1191.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Helgeson VS, Cohen S: Social support and adjustment to cancer: Reconciling descriptive, correlational, and intervention research.Health Psychology. 1996,15:135–148.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chochinov HM, Tataryn D: Predicting the trajectory of will to live in terminally ill patients.Psycho somatics. 2002,43:370–377.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Vess JD, Moreland JR, Schwebel AL: An empirical assessment of the effects of cancer on family role functioning.Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 1985,3(1):1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Vess JD, Moreland JR, Schwebel AL: A follow-up study of role functioning and the psychological environment of families of cancer patients.Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 1985,3(2):1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Beck AT, Steer RA, Brown GK:Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd ed. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Paloutzian RF, Ellison CW: Loneliness, spiritual well-being and quality of life. In Peplau LA, Perlman D (eds),Loneliness: A sourcebook for current therapy. New York: Wiley, 1982, 224–237.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Sherman AC, Simonton S: Assessment of religiousness and spirituality in health research. In Plant TG, Sherman AC (eds),Faith and health: Psychological perspectives. New York: Guilford, 2001, 139–163.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Portenoy RK, Thaler HT, Kornblith AB, et al.: The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale: An instrument for the evaluation of symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress.European Journal of Cancer. 1994,30A:1326–1336.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Spanier GB: The measurement of marital quality.Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. 1979,5:288–300.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Stetz KM: Caregiving demands during advanced cancer. The spouse's needs.Cancer Nursing. 1987,10:260–268.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Deeken JF, Taylor KL, Mangan P, Yabroff KR, Ingham JM: Care for the caregivers: A review of self-report instruments developed to measure the burden, needs, and quality of life of informal caregivers.Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2003,26:922–953.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lohr C, Schmidtke A, Bille-Brahe U, et al.: Marital quality in suicide attempters. In Grad O (ed),Suicide Risk and Protective Factors in the New Millennium. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Cankarjev Dom, 2001, 207–210.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Newsom JT, Schulz R: Caregiving from the recipient’s perspective: Negative reactions to being helped.Health Psychology. 1998,17:172–181.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Newsom JT: Another side to caregiving: Negative reactions to being helped.Current Directions in Psychological Science. 1999,8:183–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Sacco WP, Beck AT: Cognitive theory and therapy. In Beckham EE, Leber WR (eds),Handbook of Depression: Treatment, Assessment and Research (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford, 1995, 329–351.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, USA

    Sean Ransom M.A. & William P. Sacco Ph.D.

  2. Helios Pain and Psychiatry Center Tampa, Florida

    Michael A. Weitzner M.D.

  3. College of Nursing, University of South Florida, USA

    Lora M. Azzarello Ph.D. & Susan C. McMillan Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.

Authors
  1. Sean Ransom M.A.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. William P. Sacco Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael A. Weitzner M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lora M. Azzarello Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Susan C. McMillan Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sean Ransom M.A..

Additional information

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research to Michael A. Weitzner (R01-NR05228).

We are grateful to Lori Dietz for assistance in the article’s preparation.

About this article

Cite this article

Ransom, S., Sacco, W.P., Weitzner, M.A. et al. Interpersonal factors predict increased desire for hastened death in late-stage cancer patients. ann. behav. med. 31, 63–69 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3101_10

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3101_10

Keywords

Search

Navigation