A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 15 palliative care informal caregivers in University Malaya Medical Centre. The data were thematically analyzed. Seven basic themes were generated (1) empathic suffering, (2) anticipatory grief, (3) obsessive-compulsive suffering, (4) helpless-powerless suffering, (5) obligatory suffering, (6) impedimental suffering, and (7) repercussion suffering. A model of compassion suffering was conceptualized from the analysis. This model may serve as a guide in the assessment and management of suffering in palliative care informal caregivers.

A qualitative study was conducted with semistructured interviews to explore the experiences of stress in 20 palliative care providers of University Malaya Medical Centre in Malaysia. The results were thematically analyzed. Nine basic themes were generated: (1) organizational challenges, (2) care overload, (3) communication challenges, (4) differences in opinion, (5) misperceptions and misconceptions, (6) personal expectations, (7) emotional involvement, (8) death and dying thoughts, and (9) appraisal and coping. A total care model of occupational stress in palliative care was conceptualized from the analysis. This model may inform the development of interventions in the prevention and management of stress in palliative care.

A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 20 adult palliative care inpatients of University Malaya Medical Centre. The results were thematically analyzed. Ten basic themes were generated (1) loss and change → differential suffering, (2) care dependence → dependent suffering, (3) family stress → empathic suffering, (4) disease and dying → terminal suffering, (5) health care staff encounters → interactional suffering, (6) hospital environment → environmental suffering, (7) physical symptoms → sensory suffering, (8) emotional reactions → emotional suffering, (9) cognitive reactions → cognitive suffering, and (10) spiritual reactions → spiritual suffering. An existential-experiential model of suffering was conceptualized from the analysis. This model may inform the development of interventions in the prevention and management of suffering.

This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure in promoting sleep quality among adults. Study findings included in the review showed that acupressure significantly improved sleep quality compared with the control group, but no superior effect of acupressure was found compared with sham acupressure.

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Background Inner peace is a state of mind that is free from suffering. Despite facing life-limiting diseases, it is still possible for patients to experience moments of inner peace in the midst of their pain and illnesses. The authors conduct this study to find out these moments of inner peace and the various paths eading to inner peace in palliative care patients. Purpose The purpose of this study is to (1) understand the types of inner peace in palliative care patients, to (2) understand the paths leading to inner peace in palliative care patients and to (3) construct a theory of inner peace in palliative care patients. Method Grounded theory is used in gathering, synthesising, analysing and conceptualising the data to achieve the above purpose. Results Regarding the types of inner peace, the study reveals four categories: (1) physical peace, (2) psychological peace, (3) social peace and (4) spiritual peace. Regarding the paths leading to inner peace, six categories are revealed: (1) self awareness, (2) positive thought, (3) positive emotion, (4) positive behaviour, (5) positive attitude and (6) self regulation. Conclusion The former categorisation of the types of inner peace enables us to understand inner peace in a systematic manner. It helps clinician in recognising the types of inner peace in patients. The latter categorisation gives us a deeper understanding of the various paths leading to inner peace. It provides a guide in developing various mechanism-based approaches that help patients to achieve inner peace. From these two findings, the authors construct a model of inner peace that can be generalised to all patients in the field of medicine. This model of inner peace can help clinician to facilitate patients in achieving inner peace in spite of their illnesses.

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