stage, the individual attempts to make a deal with God, fate, etc. He/she will be "good" in return for continuing life.
(4) Depression - The fourth stage, usually associated with a worsening of the condition, is depression. Essentially, this stage is typified by feelings of great loss.
(5) Acceptance - In this final stage, the person reaches a stage of weary resignation. Typical comments include, "I am ready now," or "I am no longer afraid." However, Kubler-Ross does point out that in none of the stages is the person fully without hope. Even in this final stage, the possibility is left open for some cure or last-minute discovery that will remove the illness.
One type of therapeutic treatment used with terminally ill patients has been based on the developmental theory of Erik Erikson. Barocas, Reichman and Schwebel (1983) report that, according to Erikson, freedom from fear of death comes when a person chooses integrity instead of despair. Integrity, the authors report, is characterized by depth, a sense of finality, faith and serenity. Barocas et al. state that while achieving integrity allows for a confrontation of death devoid of feelings of fear and loathing, the choice for despair intensifies the fear which can result in remorse, bitterness, demanding behaviors, and excessive concern over all bodily changes.
Orstein (1985) has noted that treatment strategies based on Erikson's notion commonly involve techniques in which patients are required to reminisce and generally review the events of their lives. He reports that while these strategies have been found to decrease fear of death and to increase adaptive functioning, they tend to work better with elderly terminally ill patients than with younger ones.
One increasingly prevalent intervention for terminally ill patients is hospice care. This form of intervention is selective in that hospices accept only patients diagnosed as having less than six months to...