Attitude Towards Death and Life Meaning in Dying Cancer Patients: A Phenomenological Study.

The way an individual approaches death may influence deeply how he or she approaches life so that it can lead to both authenticity and meaningfulness as well as hopelessness, nihilism and inanity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the attitude of these patients towards death and life meaning.

In this research, a qualitative method with a descriptive phenomenological approach was employed. From amongst all cancer patients receiving palliative care for advanced cancer in Firoozgar Hospital and Ala cancer control and prevention center, eleven patients were chosen according to targeted sampling method. Data collection was used by using semi-structured interview and data interpretation was done in Collizi method.

The results of this study was categorized in six main clusters; “Death as transit to a new world”, “Death as a bridge towards light”, “Death as passing through a safe haven”, “Death as losing contact with worldly belongings”, “Death as the beginning or the end of a pathway” and “attitude towards life” and 13 sub clusters.

Difficult life with illness and imminent death leads to the loss of meaning in patients and also affects their attitude towards death. Hence, thanatopsis and logo therapy are necessary to find the meaning of life and resolve existential conflicts in these patients.