• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.334-343
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• 2013

This study was conducted to examine the readiness for death and death anxiety among hospitalized cancer patients. A convenience sample of 183 cancer patients admitted to four hospitals in Korea was recruited for this study. Data were collected in 2010. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The mean scores of readiness for death and death anxiety were 1.99(${\pm}0.69$) and 2.21(${\pm}0.59$) out of 4, respectively. 'Psychological readiness' showed the highest mean score among the death anxiety domains, and 'dying process' had the highest mean score among the death anxiety domains. No statistically significant correlation was found between readiness for death and death anxiety. Readiness for death was statistically significantly different according to age, afterlife beliefs, stage of cancer, duration of disease, and number of symptoms. Death anxiety showed significant difference according to faith in God and afterlife beliefs. Distress in the process of dying needs to be managed for cancer patients and spiritual interventions should be considered to relieve death anxiety.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.167-175
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status and the factors associated with death preparation of in Community-Dwelling Elderlys. This study was secondary analysis using with 2014 National Survey on the Elderly in Korea. The number of respondents were 10,281. Data were analyzed with the x2 test, t-test and multiple logistic regression using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. 37.7% of respondents had done death preparation. The factors associated with death preparation were sex(CI=1.02-1.25), age(CI=1.90-2.28), living area(CI=1.21-1.45), education level(CI=1.16-1.42), spouse status(CI=1.50-3.22), economic level(CI=1.13-1.36), limit of activity(CI=1.11-1.40), life satisfaction(economic satisfaction(CI=1.17-1.35), children relationship satisfaction(CI=1.25-1.43), friends and neighborhood relationship satisfaction(CI=1.10-1.28)). Based on these results, it is necessary to develop programs for reinforcing elder's psychological death preparation for elders in community organization. To consider elder's characteristics like gender and living area.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.165-193
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• 2013

This study purposes to explore the growing process through spousal bereavement in later life, and to develop the theory. A qualitative research was conducted, and the participants were 17 seniors. The analysis according to Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory(1998), resulted in 143 concepts, 43 subcategories, and 19 categories. Range analysis according to paradigm showed that the causal conditions were 'marital relationships', 'independent/dependent tendencies', and 'emotional readiness for the death of a spouse', and the phenomena were 'depression', 'hopelessness', 'daily stress', 'psychological intimidation', 'regret', and 'sense of being freed'. The contextual conditions that affect these phenomena were 'desire for intimate personal relationships' and 'desire to maintain independence'; the action/interaction strategies to manage the phenomena were 'facing reality' and 'efforts for construction of the new life'; and the mediating conditions that promote or suppress these action/interaction strategies were 'social support' and 'spirituality'. The results were 'reconstruction of the meaning in life', 'increase in self-esteem', 'reinforcement of social network' and 'embrace and acceptance'. Furthermore, when personal growth after bereavement of a spouse was analyzed focusing on changes over time, the growth process consisted of three steps: 'sadness and despair', 'embracing and moving forward', and 'personal growth'. The pattern analyses were performed to typify recurring relations by category, and 5 types were derived. The results of our study show that personal growth after spousal loss is an integrative process in life after crisis, and can be conceptualized as the process of overcoming the despair that immediately follows the death of a spouse, seeking a new life by actively taking control, and discovering a strengthened self.