ABSTRACT

Death, Dying and Palliative Care in Children and Young People: Perspectives from Health Psychology examines the issues relevant to children and young people living with serious illness and their families by taking a closer look at the literature and knowledge around the processes of care, health, well-being and development through a health psychology lens.

The text introduces readers to the general palliative and holistic care needs of children and young people along with the nuances of caring relationships. The chapters discuss the vulnerabilities encountered in living with serious illness and facing a shortened life prognosis, being at the end of life, and issues relative to the historical concept of the ‘good death’ or ‘dying well’, grief, and bereavement. The author examines how individual and familial experiences can be multi-layered, which can consequently influence perceptions and behaviours. The text therefore offers a deep exploration of the varied ways in which people draw on different resources to navigate their palliative care lived experiences.

The book will be beneficial to the students of, and individuals interested in, psychology and nursing along with other health and social care courses. It will further be of interest to individuals interested in gaining more understanding of the experiential aspects of death, dying and palliative care in children and young people from health psychology perspectives.

chapter |16 pages

Prologue

chapter 1|17 pages

The underpinnings of children and young people's palliative care

Hospice, spirituality, and existentialism

chapter 6|23 pages

The lived experience of serious illness

chapter 7|27 pages

Dying well

Children and young people's end of life care

chapter |4 pages

Epilogue