Incorporating End-of-Life Issues into Psychology Courses

Abstract

The American Psychological Association's Working Group on Assisted Suicide and End-of-Life Decisions (2000) recently called for the development of resources to assist training programs in incorporating end-of-life issues into undergraduate and graduate courses. After explaining why teaching about the dying process is relevant to psychology, I provide suggestions for how instructors can include end-of-life issues and decisions in courses on ethical, legal, and professional issues; adult and life span development; counseling diverse populations; and assessment and diagnosis. Each section contains a brief review of key issues, provides sample discussion questions, and highlights appropriate references.

Interest and Confidence in Death Education and Palliative Psychology in Italian and Indian University Students of Psychology: Similarities and Differences

“…Similar to this finding, our qualitative data revealed that the Indian students felt more competent to work in a palliative care setting and that the course had raised their awareness and decreased their worries about the concept of death [35,36]. This result highlights the importance of death education in the training of future professionals, such as psychology students, in the field of personal care [37,38].…”

Teaching A Grief and Loss Counseling Course

“…Second, grief and loss issues can have an effect on counselors, either as a result of working with the clients' issues or because they connect to the counselors' own life issues, attitudes, and experiences (Hunt & Rosenthal, 2000;Rando, 1984;Werth, 2002). In some cases, the extent of the client's issues can lead to empathy fatigue, which can impair the counselor's ability to serve clients effectively (Stebnicki, 2000).…”