Deck 19: Death, Dying, and Bereavement

Question 1

The period during which vital signs are absent but resuscitation is still possible is called clinical death.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When a deceased person is treated like a corpse, this is referred to as brain death.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In 2002, a Canadian website called Canadian Virtual Hospice was created to provide support for hospice care providers.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Resuscitation from clinical death is possible.

Question 5

Hospice care emphasizes palliative care rather than curative efforts.

Question 6

A person is legally dead if they are clinically dead.

Question 7

In the year following bereavement, the incidence of mortality among widows and widowers rises significantly.

Question 8

Studies suggest that immune system functioning might be compromised when patients respond to diagnoses of fatal illnesses with stoic acceptance or helplessness.

Question 9

"Not me!" and "It must be a mistake!" are examples of Kübler-Ross's bargaining stage of dying.

Question 10

A 7-year-old child is not able to fully understand the permanence of death.

Question 11

Caring for someone with dementia is physically demanding, but there are no known psychological burdens proven in research.

Question 12

A young adult who knew he was dying would most likely use the remaining time to complete unfinished projects and tie up loose ends.

Question 13

In Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's model of the psychological stages of dying, denial and bargaining are defence mechanisms that help moderate the reality of impending death.

Question 14

A widow whose husband died suddenly is more likely to become depressed than a widow whose husband died after a long illness.

Question 15

Teenagers may engage in dangerous behaviours because they don't think death will happen to them.

Question 16

Those who are religious and attend church are more afraid of death.

Question 17

Hospice care involves focusing on relieving the patient's pain rather than curing the disease.

Question 18

Older adults are more fearful of death than people of any age group.

Question 19

Older adults tend to be more anxious about the process of dying rather than of death itself.

Question 20

In the months immediately after the death of a spouse, men are more likely to die from natural causes or suicide than women are.

Question 21

Assisted suicide is explicitly and fully legal in Canada.

Question 22

Which form of death has occurred in circumstances where rescue is still possible even though there is no evidence of brain function, the heart has stopped, and breathing has stopped?

A) brain death
B) clinical death
C) social death
D) cardiovascular death

Question 23

More adolescents believe in life after death than older adults.

Question 24

The harvesting of body organs for organ transplants can take place when which form of death has occurred?

A) clinical death
B) respiratory death
C) brain death
D) social death

Question 25

Support groups are one of the most effective strategies for dealing with grief.

Question 26

Research has produced a growing body of evidence suggesting that suffering can be lessened and survival can be prolonged through psychological interventions.

Question 27

Sudden loss of a loved one frequently leads to suicidal thoughts in young adults.

Question 28

Which form of death has occurred in circumstances where there is no electrical activity in the brain and the person no longer has reflexes or responds to vigorous external stimuli?

A) brain death
B) total death
C) cerebral death
D) social death

Question 29

Jewish scriptures, the Christian Bible, and the Muslim Quran each teach believers that death comes when one's purpose in life has been fulfilled.

Question 30

Which of the following is not a form of death identified by physicians?

A) clinical death
B) social death
C) brain death
D) psychological death

Question 31

The emotional response to a death is called pathological grief.

Question 32

The association between the death of a spouse and ensuing illness in a surviving partner is likely coincidence.

Question 33

Middle-aged and older adults who continue to be preoccupied with the past are more likely to be fearful and anxious about death.

Question 34

If a deceased person is treated as a corpse by others (through actions such as transporting the body or signing the death certificate) which form of death has occurred?

A) community death
B) social death
C) ceremonial death
D) ritual death

Question 35

When considering Kübler-Ross's theory of dying, researchers could verify depression as a common stage among the dying but not the other four stages.

Question 36

What circumstances permit the determination that a person is legally dead?

A) there is no electrical activity in the brain, and the person no longer has reflexes or responds to vigorous external stimuli
B) when the death certificate is signed
C) the brain stem is dead and there is no independent body functioning
D) resuscitation is possible even though there is no evidence of brain function or respiration, and the heart has stopped

Question 37

A living will that asks a physician not to use life-support systems or resuscitation techniques is essentially asking the physician to participate in passive euthanasia.

Question 38

Shneidman agrees with Kübler-Ross's stages of death but suggests that the stages can appear, disappear, and reappear in any one patient in the process of dealing with death.

Question 39

There appears to be no gender difference in the response to the death of a spouse.

Question 40

Reminiscence helps adults prepare for death.

Question 41

How do adolescent suicide beliefs and behaviours compare with those of adults?

A) Adults cognitively grasp the finality of suicide, adolescents do not.
B) Adolescents are more likely to leave long explanatory suicide notes, adults frequently do not leave notes.
C) Many teens believe death to be a pleasurable experience, adults believe death to be a painful experience.
D) Despite understanding that death is final, both groups have viewed suicide as a temporary escape from a stressful personal problem.

Question 42

Which form of death is associated with a vegetative state in which the cortex is affected but the brain stem continues to support respiration and other bodily functions?

A) neurological death
B) clinical death
C) brain death
D) suspended death

Question 43

Which of the following would NOT accurately describe how children see death?

A) Death is reversible.
B) Death is selective.
C) Dead people can still fully function.
D) Death is unavoidable.

Question 44

The form of care for the terminally ill that focuses on relieving the patient's pain rather than curing their illness is called

A) hospice care.
B) palliative care.
C) caregiver burden.
D) transitional care.

Question 45

When young adults who die are elevated to saint or hero status, how do psychologists explain the phenomenon?

A) adult manipulation of the circumstances to create a distraction and cushion the impact of loss
B) a contagion of mass hysteria and projected grief
C) young adults need to make these deaths "special" to preserve their own illusion of unique invulnerability
D) media exploitation of vulnerability and emotion passing as news

Question 46

Which of the following is the best explanation for a young adult's belief that she is too lucky to die, even though she knows that death can happen to other people?

A) unique invulnerability
B) illusion of control
C) denial
D) egocentric thought

Question 47

What would be the most likely age of a child who said, "My dog died, but she will feel better and come home tomorrow"?

A) 11 years
B) 7 years
C) 5 years
D) 9 years

Question 48

Which of the following would NOT be an accurate statement about an adolescent's view of suicide?

A) Death allows them a chance to "get even" with others.
B) Death is final.
C) The purpose of suicide is to escape from a stressful personal problem.
D) Death is a pleasurable experience.

Question 49

Which statement does NOT reflect the philosophy of hospice care?

A) Death is viewed as normal, unavoidable, and an issue to face and accept.
B) The patient and the family are encouraged to face the impending death and to be involved in the care.
C) Continual emphasis is placed on curative care.
D) Control of the care is in the patient's hands.

Question 50

What is the most significant meaning of death for most adults?

A) loss
B) justice
C) renewal
D) punishment

Question 51

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about comparisons between hospital care and hospice care?

A) According to studies, hospital care and hospice care do not differ in effectiveness of pain control for patients.
B) According to a study, the economic costs of death were less for patients receiving home-based hospice care because they were admitted to the hospital fewer times during their last months.
C) Home-based hospice care is more of a burden than hospital-based hospice care, especially for the central caregiver.
D) According to studies, those receiving hospital care did not survive as long as those receiving hospice care.

Question 52

Which of the following is not a typical setting where hospice care may be given?

A) a community drop-in, urgent treatment clinic
B) a hospital
C) a homelike hospice centre
D) a home

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT true regarding children's understanding of death?

A) A 5-year-old is not able to fully understand that death is permanent.
B) A 6-year-old is able to understand that death is permanent, universal, and unavoidable.
C) A 7-year-old is not able to understand that death can be a universal factor.
D) A 9-year-old is able to understand that death is permanent and universal.

Question 54

What concerns exist for young adults who experience death through a sudden loss such as an accident, a murder, or a suicide?

A) Their illusion of invulnerability is shattered, leading to higher risks of depression.
B) Their illusion of invulnerability is shattered, leading to higher risks of post-traumatic stress disorder.
C) Their illusion of invulnerability is shattered, leading to higher risks of panic and anxiety attacks.
D) Their illusion of invulnerability is shattered, leading to higher risks of suicidal thoughts.

Question 55

Which of the following is a form of terminal care that emphasizes individual and family control of the normal process of dying?

A) nursing-home care
B) hospice care
C) Kaliai care
D) elder hostel

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of the philosophy of hospice care?

A) The patient and the family should prepare by talking openly and planning for after the death.
B) The family should be involved in the patient's care as much as possible.
C) Death is normal and should be faced and accepted.
D) Control over the patient's care should not be in the hands of the patient's family.

Question 57

Which of the following would be the most likely response if an adult over age 60 were asked how they would spend their remaining months of life?

A) I would meditate and try to find peace within myself.
B) I would say good-bye to family members whom I have not seen for years.
C) I would tie up the loose ends of my business affairs and talk to my lawyer about my will.
D) I would do all the wild and crazy things that I have always wanted to do.

Question 58

Which of the following most accurately characterizes what a child younger than 5 years of age would understand or believe about death?

A) Death is universal.
B) Death is reversible.
C) Death is permanent.
D) Death is tragic.

Question 59

Of the following factors, which is NOT considered a suicide risk associated with the adolescent phase of development?

A) a belief that death is a temporary escape from a problem
B) the inability to grasp the finality of death
C) powerful emotions
D) a belief that death can be a pleasurable experience

Question 60

In Canada and other industrialized countries, where do most adults die?

A) at home
B) in a hospital
C) in a hospice
D) in a nursing home

Question 61

Researchers have determined that widowhood appears to have both immediate and long-term effects on which dimension of physical health?

A) hormone production of the endocrine system
B) the cardiovascular system
C) the immune system
D) sensory perception

Question 62

An individual who says, "I'm looking forward to seeing my loved ones in heaven" is most likely in the ________ stage of dying, according to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.

A) terminal
B) accommodation
C) stoic
D) acceptance

Question 63

An individual who has recently learned that he is terminally ill begins to lash out at his family and at the medical personnel involved in his care. According to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's model of the psychological preparations for death, what might explain this behaviour?

A) cognitive changes brought on by the stress of the situation
B) a wish to punish others and make them feel pain too
C) interactions between medications
D) a loss of control and sense of helplessness

Question 64

Which of the following circumstances of death would be likely to elicit the most intense grief responses, possibly including post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms?

A) an elderly parent dies in her sleep
B) a 28-year-old woman is murdered
C) a child dies after being terminally ill for many months
D) a 55-year-old man dies following his third heart attack

Question 65

Which of the following represents the most typical effect(s) that occur as result of widowhood?

A) increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and substance abuse disorder
B) increased mortality
C) increased likelihood of suicide
D) negative impact upon immune system functioning and increased incidence of depression

Question 66

Which of the following is a stage in Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's model of the psychological preparations for death?

A) stoic acceptance
B) rebellion
C) anger
D) pleading

Question 67

Which of the following is a condition that can occur if a grieving individual experiences depression-like symptoms, such as loss of appetite, for more than two months following the loss of a loved one?

A) pathological grief
B) complex grief
C) post-traumatic stress disorder
D) obsessive-compulsive grief

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT a task that Charles Corr suggests a dying person should accomplish?

A) sustain and enhance significant interpersonal attachments
B) use spiritual energy to foster hope
C) satisfy bodily needs and minimize physical stress
D) prepare a will and "letters of goodbye"

Question 69

What aspects of death are older adults most likely to fear?

A) their afterlife experience
B) that important issues will be unresolved or projects will not be completed
C) loss of their roles and relationships
D) the uncertainty before death, such as where they will die and who will care for them

Question 70

What is thanatology?

A) the religious view that death is a transitional state
B) the belief in life after death
C) the study of brain function during death
D) the scientific study of death and dying

Question 71

Mr. O'Handley has been told that he has a fatal form of cancer and that he has approximately a month to live. He insists that there has been a mistake and that "the incompetent idiots" at the laboratory have confused his test results with someone else's. According to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, Mr. O'Handley is most likely in the ________ stage of dying.

A) rejection
B) anger
C) denial
D) ego dissonance

Question 72

Which person would be more at risk for developing prolonged grief or long-term grief-related problems?

A) 65-year-old Mrs. Carter, whose husband died
B) 8-year-old Billy, who knew his dog was ill and in danger of dying
C) 16-year-old Susan, whose mother died
D) 45-year-old Mr. Perez, whose mother died of breast cancer

Question 73

An important factor to consider in assessing pathological grief is

A) the gender of the person who is grieving.
B) the person's cultural rules and practices related to grief.
C) the absence of grief symptoms.
D) the age of the person who is grieving.

Question 74

Which of the following are Kübler-Ross's stages of dying?

A) anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
B) bargaining, denial, acceptance, depression, anger
C) denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
D) denial, fighting spirit, stoic acceptance, depression, acceptance

Question 75

In Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's model of the psychological preparations for death, what is the purpose of reactions such as denial or bargaining?

A) These responses are defence mechanisms that aid the person cope with the reality of impending death.
B) These reactions are barriers to intrusive social support.
C) These reactions can be a source of energy or fighting spirit.
D) These responses are a person's private mourning rituals.

Question 76

As a general rule, the most difficult death to recover from is that of a

A) sibling.
B) spouse.
C) parent.
D) child.

Question 77

An individual who says, "I will donate a large sum of money to cancer research if I can just live long enough to see my grandchild born" is most likely in the ________ stage of dying, according to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.

A) bargaining
B) accommodation
C) denial
D) acceptance

Question 78

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about sex differences in the loss of a spouse?

A) Women have a more difficult time than men do in returning to the level of emotional functioning they exhibited prior to their spouse's death.
B) Research reveals that widowers withdraw from social activities to a greater degree than widows do in the early months of bereavement.
C) Depression and suicidal thoughts are more common in widowers than in widows.
D) In the early months following the loss of a spouse, men are more likely than women to die from either natural causes or suicide.

Question 79

A dying person who says "Why me? This isn't fair!" is in the ________ stage of psychological preparation for death, according to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross.

A) anger
B) depression
C) denial
D) rejection

Question 80

According to Stephen Greer et al., when one responds to impending death by acknowledging the diagnosis without seeking further help and carries on normal life as much as possible, this is called

A) denial.
B) fighting spirit.
C) stoic acceptance.
D) depression.