Embracing Endings: Unveiling the Connection Between Final Conversations, the Opportunity Model for Presence, and Coping With the Death of Our Parents.

This study examines adult children's loss of a parent through final conversations and communal coping. By looking at survivors' experiences through the lens of the opportunity model for presence (OMP) during the end-of-life (EOL) process, a model that provides a path of engagement leading to a good or bad death and consequent bereavement processes, we quantitatively test the relationships between two communication constructs before and after death of a parent. While final conversations as one construct did not lead to appraisal or action coping, results illustrate that final conversation topics of identity, instrumental, love, and everyday talk, were significantly related to shared appraisal.

Staying connected: Alzheimer's hashtags and opportunities for engagement and overcoming stigma.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a terminal, neurodegenerative disease, and consequently is difficult to communicate about as it is stigmatized, and discussions are rife with misconceptions. By situating AD conversations in the sociocultural space of the opportunity model of presence during the end-of-life process, a framework developed illustrating the potential trajectory from living with illness through death and into bereavement, we examined networked discussions surrounding Alzheimer's related hashtags on Twitter (N = 132,803) between January 1st, 2010, and September 29th, 2021. Using the mixed-method approach of the Analysis of Topic Model Network (ANTMN) framework, results revealed 30 topics clustered into five distinct themes: promotion, education, action, "You aren't alone", and dementia.

Shouts from the Void: A Mixed-Method Analysis Surrounding the Online Chronic Illness Community, NEISVoid.

Chronic illness affects millions worldwide, rendering the life of those affected complex to manage. Extant research points to the need for effective and supportive care for the successful treatment, yet health care encounters for this population are often filled with negative experiences, ranging from discontinuity of care to disenfranchisement from providers. One such group dedicated to sharing struggles is the NEISVoid (No End In Sight) community on Twitter.

Survivors' perspectives on saying goodbye: Implications for end-of-life engagement across the lifespan and grieving process.

Family members are often unaware of their loved ones' final wishes and underestimate the need to talk about them before parents reach end-of-life (EOL). The benefits of engaging in EOL conversations alleviate needless suffering and can allow an opportunity to say goodbye in a meaningful way. We examined final conversations 13 adults recalled having with their aging parents through the lens of the opportunity model for presence (OMP) during the EOL process, a communication process model based on engagement in the dying process from diagnosis through bereavement, to understand the process from the survivor's perspective, looking at content of conversations and where they occurred in the dying process.

Mediated depictions of mental health, chronic care and literacy: a narrative analysis of Randall's mental health journey in the television series, .

Introduction: Mental health and delivery of care is a global issue, that was only magnified by COVID-19. Over the past 3 years, people's time spent watching television increased, while the way that mental health care was delivered changed. Audiences can gain insight into mental health issues through positive or negative mediated depictions on television.

Clinician Communication in Hospice: Constructions of Reality Throughout the End-of-Life Process.

The current study examined qualitative data from hospice clinicians' perspectives on language, surrounding end-of-life (EOL), to understand challenges and opportunities for constructing a trajectory of communication leading towards a good death experience. Findings from two focus groups with nine clinicians' and 12 individual interviews, four of which were follow up interviews after the focus groups, were guided by framework analysis and revealed three themes, and We used the Opportunity Model for Presence during the End-of-Life Process (OMP-EOLP) to make sense of the findings and discuss implications for language use throughout the EOL process. We argue additional efforts should be made in recognizing the value of presence checks, re-constructing advance care planning, and utilizing different forms of media as an educational tool and connection mechanism for clinicians with patients and families to achieve a timely engagement of EOL conversations for all healthcare participants.

Exploring Web-Based Twitter Conversations Surrounding National Healthcare Decisions Day and Advance Care Planning From a Sociocultural Perspective: Computational Mixed Methods Analysis.

Background: Within the cultures and societies of the United States, topics related to death and dying continue to be taboo, and as a result, opportunities for presence and engagement during the end of life, which could lead to a good death, are avoided. Several efforts have been made to help people engage in advance care planning (ACP) conversations, including completing advance care directives so that they may express their goals of care if they become too sick to communicate their wishes. A major effort in the United States toward encouraging such challenging discussions is the annual celebration of the National Healthcare Decisions Day.

: An Analysis of Mediated Family Communication at End-of-Life.

Death is a ubiquitous theme in television dramas and we argued that mediated depictions of end-of-life experiences have the potential to provide glimpses into the ways in which characters experience real-life issues and can serve as conversation starters within family viewers. The study aimed to identify how a popular television drama, , depicted end-of-life communication. Analysis of season one revealed 54 conversations about end-of-life, two explicit death scenes, and three implied death scenes.

Expanding the Understanding of Content of End-of-Life Dreams and Visions: A Consensual Qualitative Research Analysis.

Research has established End-of-Life Dreams and Visions (ELDVs) as prevalent, meaningful valid experiences that may help patients cope with illness and approaching death. However, no inductive qualitative analysis has explored the phenomenology of ELDVs from the perspective of hospice homecare patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the content of ELDVs by using a rigorous qualitative approach.

The Photographs of Meaning Program for Pediatric Palliative Caregivers and Its Impact on Meaning, Well-Being, and Perceived Social Support.

Caring for a child or adolescent with palliative care needs can significantly influence the physical, mental, financial, and social well-being of caregivers. Due to this multifaceted impact, there is a demand for evidence-based support that meets the distinct needs of this population. This study aims to evaluate the effect the Photographs of Meaning Program (POM) has on meaning and purpose, well-being, and perceived social support of pediatric palliative caregivers (PPCGs).

Reaching Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients Through Social Media: Impact of the Photographs of Meaning Program.

This study assessed the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Photographs of Meaning Program for Adolescent and Young Adult cancer patients and survivors (POM-AYA). POM-AYA is a structured 10-week meaning-based intervention in which participants post photographs and accompanying narratives through a social media platform. Measures of depression, overall quality of life (QoL), and spiritual well-being were assessed on consent (T1), after completing the 10-week intervention (T2) and 2 months' postintervention (T3).

The Experience of Pediatric Palliative Caregiving: A Qualitative Analysis From the Photographs of Meaning Program.

The Photographs of Meaning Program for pediatric palliative caregivers (POM-PPCG) is an innovative, meaning-based intervention utilizing photovoice and social media components. In 2017, 9 pediatric palliative caregivers participated in this intervention. During the social media portion of the POM-PPCG, participants were presented with weekly themes based on a meaning-making curriculum.

Family Caregiver Perspectives on End-of-Life Dreams and Visions during Bereavement: A Mixed Methods Approach.

End-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) are prevalent experiences that provide comfort and meaning to dying individuals. Limited research has examined the impact of ELDVs on the bereaved. This study aimed to explore differences in self-reported grief for people whose loved ones shared ELDVs and those who did not, and to describe the role of ELDVs in the grieving process.

The Photographs of Meaning Program for Pediatric Palliative Caregivers: Feasibility of a Novel Meaning-Making Intervention.

Background: Research indicates that informal caregiving can have intense physical and mental impact on the individual. Relative to caregivers of adults, pediatric palliative caregivers appear less in literature despite experiencing greater mental, physical, financial, and social strain. There is limited research on the creation and evaluation of interventions specifically for this population despite clear need.

End-of-Life in Disney and Pixar Films: An opportunity for Engaging in Difficult Conversation.

This study expanded upon previous scholarship by examining end-of-life (EOL) depictions and messages of death within Disney and Pixar animated films. We argue Disney and Pixar depictions of EOL and death can provide critical opportunities for discussing death and dying processes with children and adults alike. A content analysis of 57 movies resulted in a total of 71 character deaths.

Still Searching: A Meta-Synthesis of a Good Death from the Bereaved Family Member Perspective.

The concept of a good death continues to receive attention in end-of-life (EOL) scholarship. We sought to continue this line of inquiry related to a good death by conducting a meta-synthesis of published qualitative research studies that examined a good death from the bereaved family member's perspective. Results of the meta-synthesis included 14 articles with 368 participants.

Trusting Social Media as a Source of Health Information: Online Surveys Comparing the United States, Korea, and Hong Kong.

Background: The Internet has increasingly become a popular source of health information by connecting individuals with health content, experts, and support. More and more, individuals turn to social media and Internet sites to share health information and experiences. Although online health information seeking occurs worldwide, limited empirical studies exist examining cross-cultural differences in perceptions about user-generated, experience-based information compared to expertise-based information sources.

Recognizing Success in the Chaplain Profession: Connecting Perceptions With Practice.

The current investigation examines the communicative hallmarks of successful chaplaincy work as articulated by professional chaplains providing spiritual care at the end-of-life. Data grounded in qualitative interviews with 32 chaplains of various denominations and lengths of service reveals a challenge in gauging success when working with dying patients and families. Chaplains reported nonverbal hallmarks of success consist of (a) intrapersonal sense of accomplishment, (b) progress in fulfilling patient needs, and (c) meaningful connection with patients.

Translating spiritual care in the chaplain profession.

Chaplains provide a much-needed service to patients and families requiring spiritual care in the healthcare setting. Despite evidence documenting improvements quality of life for patients using spiritual services, chaplains experience challenges in translating the benefits they provide into concepts understood by patients, team members, and administrators. A qualitative study using interviews with 19 chaplains found that translation problems occur in three main areas: (a) justifying the role to patients and families, (b) determinations of what constitutes a "productive" employee, and (c) effective collaboration with other members of the health care team.

The chaplain profession from the employer perspective: an analysis of hospice chaplain job advertisements.

Hospitals and hospice organizations who are hiring chaplains to provide spiritual care for terminally ill patients post online job advertisements with specific qualifications and communication skills that applicants should possess. An examination of job advertisements can uncover trends in credentials and responsibilities expected of hospice chaplains. Results of a framework analysis of 71 hospice chaplain job advertisements indicated that 44% of chaplain job advertisements did not require chaplain applicants to have completed clinical pastoral education (CPE) and 41% did not required ordination and/or endorsement from a recognized denomination.