DIGNITY THERAPY: A NOVEL PSYCHO THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR CANCER SURVIVOR

VILAS SONAGRE*, N. B. MALKHANDALE, P. B. SURSE, L.N. BARDE.

SHARAD PAWAR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, NAGPUR. 441110,(M.S.)

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2010, NAGPUR

Introduction To Dignity Therapy

The Dignity is defined as “feeling deserved of honor, respect and excellence”.

The Dignity characterized as persons Sense of Meaning, Sense of Pride, Sense of Personhood, and Sense of Identity.

Psychologically Dignity is nothing but a key of lives the life because the routine achievements and challenges sensitize our dignity and desire to live.

Introduction To Dignity Therapy

Dignity Therapy is the part of Response - Based Therapy.

Psychologically Dignity Therapy is helpful to study and diagnose the patients near the end of life.

Most of Psychologists found that Dignity Therapy is given very good results in Suicidal cases.

Dignity Therapy found to be a best option of complimentary therapy for cancer survivors.

Psycho-Oncology and Dignity Therapy

Psycho-oncology deal with the study of lifestyle, psychological and social aspects of cancer survivors.

Cancer survivors near the end of life could not able to live there life because of delirium, depression, hopelessness, feeling of being a burden on others, and overall poorer quality of life due to loss of dignity that may lead a chances of suicidal tendency.

Psycho-Oncology and Dignity Therapy

Cancer survivors are at 2-3 fold greater risk for suicide than the general population.

The loss of Dignity is one of the reasons for suicides of cancer survivor is up to 53%.

The concept of Dignity therapy is to enhance the sense of Dignity in cancer survivor.

The Dignity therapy ignite the lamp of Personhood, Identity, Remembrances himself the every small small achievements, which leads to positiveness and sense of dignity.

Dignity Therapy Methods

In Dignity therapy psychologist collect data from cancer survivor about his life in the preformatted questions. Like,

Tell me about your life history? When you did most alive? Remberance that more important in your life? What are the most important role you played in life? Why they were important to you? What are your hopes and dreams for your loved ones? What have you learned about life that would you pass

along to others.

Dignity Therapy Methods

Collected information get edited and then created a permanent record .

This permanent record handover to cancer survivor for distribution in his loved ones.

Actually in Dignity therapy cancer survivor recall his sense of identity, sense of meaning, sense of pride, sense of personhood, achievements and glory's, which ignite the lamp of Dignity inside of Cancer survivor.

Dignity therapy gives satisfaction and smile on the face of cancer survivors.

Clinical Studies on Dignity Therapy

As per pre & post intervention satisfaction survey done in Winnipeg, and Perth was found that 91% of participants reported being satisfied with dignity therapy, 76% reported a heightened sense of dignity, 68% reported an increased sense of purpose, 67% reported a heightened sense of meaning, 47% reported an increased will to live, and 81% reported that it had been or would be of help to their family.

The Cancer Council of Western Australia and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Cancer Institute of Canada, was found Dignity Therapy is A Novel Psychotherapeutic Intervention for Cancer Survivor.

REFERENCES Chochinov HM: Dying, Dignity, and New Horizones in

Palliative End of Life : CA Cancer J Clin 2006;56;84-103 Chochinov HM, Hack T, McClement S, et al: Dignity in

the terminally ill: An empirical model. Soc Sci Med 54:433-443, 2002

Betty Ferrel: Dignity Therapy : Advancing the science of Spiritual Care in Terminal Illness : JOCO, VOL 23, N0 24 August 20, 2005, pp 5427-5428

Chochinov HM: Dignity-conserving care: A new model for palliative care. JAMA 287:2253-2260, 2002

Chochinov HM: Dignity and the eye of the beholder. J Clin Oncol 22:1336-1340, 2004

Thank You Very Much