ABSTRACT
The term ‘‘psychosocial’’ refers to the aspects of one’s being and functioning that encompass the emotional, social, and intellectual realms. Studies have shown that psychosocial well-being promotes survival in ALS; patients with a low quality of life (psychological distress) are seven timesmore likely to die sooner than those with a high quality of life (psychological well-being), a finding that corresponds to those reported for patients with terminal cancer (1). The importance of psychosocial care is emphasized in the recent Robert Wood Johnson Initiative to Improve End-of-Life Care in ALS as well as other specific diseases (2). Psychosocial care in terminal diseases like ALS, which progress steadily without remission, is complex and requires recognition and exploration of psychosocial issues in the context of the concurrent disease.
