ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors hope to illuminate some of the dynamics in the Russian Federation. Availability of end-of life care, service providers’ roles, as well as prevalent attitudes towards seeking psychological help will be addressed. The authors’ own personal experience with end-of-life care, loss, and bereavement stem from their private practice art therapy work in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. “The palliative care movement in eastern Europe started during the communist era, when the needs of the dying were much neglected”. In contemporary Russia, the availability of palliative care for adult patients is approved and mandated to be a part of healthcare systems by the Russian Ministry of Health. A history of any psychological treatment or hospitalization also became a part of a person’s work documentation and negatively influenced potential for subsequent employment. To obtain more particular information about art therapy contributions to end-of-life psychological care, Russian professionals were consulted.
