Physician-Assisted Suicide and Midwest Social Workers: Where Do They Stand?

ABSTRACT

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is explicitly legal in five states and by court decision in one. Legislative bills have been introduced in other states including Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. This quantitative study was designed to understand Midwest, hospice and palliative care at end-of-life social workers’ attitudes toward PAS, preferred terminology, perception of preparedness for the implementation, and awareness of PAS legislation in their state. Sixty-two social workers from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin completed an anonymous online survey. The results indicated that over one-half of the participants supported PAS legislation and is consistent with previous research on social workers across the country. While there was a range of perceived preparedness for implementation, a majority felt moderately to very prepared. Professional and personal values as well as professional experience influenced their perceived preparedness. Few social workers had accurate awareness of PAS legislation in their state or had attended workshops/events for further education or as a policy advocate. To practice competently and advocate at all levels of practice, hospice and palliative care at end-of-life social workers’ need to understand their own attitudes and values toward PAS and pursue additional education around this ethical issue.     

论伊莉莎自杀的潜意识取向——《吉尔的妻子》的精神分析

精神分析是对人的精神结构有史以来较为深邃和细致的考察。从精神分析及其精神分裂分析的角度对法国影片《吉尔的妻子》进行文本解读,有助于论证女主角自杀是其自身意想不到的潜意识取向,从而表达对生命的忧虑,并呼吁社会对压迫中的妇女无意识的思考,以及对女性的人文关怀。     

Developing a Brief Suicide Prevention Intervention and Mobile Phone Application: A Qualitative Report

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and has become a serious public health problem. There has been limited research on strategies to decrease the likelihood of reattempt in adolescents. As phase one of a treatment development study, clinicians, parents, and adolescents participated in qualitative interviews in order to gain new perspectives on developing a targeted intervention and a safety plan phone application for suicide prevention. Participants indicated that transition of care, specific treatment targets, and safety planning were important parts of treatment. In addition, all participants endorsed the use of a smartphone application for these purposes.     

A qualitative analysis of suicide risk factors,preferred means,and means restriction feasibility within a homeless shelter environment

Suicide completion rates among homeless individuals are approximately nine times higher than the general population. The purpose of this study was to capture the state of social support among homeless individuals, understand how homeless community members support peers in crisis, examine the awareness of suicidal ideation, identify common methods for suicide, and generate strategies for means restriction within a shelter. Twenty individuals residing at an emergency shelter were interviewed. Participants were of diverse cultural identities overrepresented in the sample relative to the general population. Interviews revealed that 40% of participants lacked social support. However, the majority indicated that if they encountered someone at risk for suicide, they would provide support and encouragement to the at-risk individual. Almost half of participants reported knowing of an individual in the shelter who had previously attempted suicide and/or was currently or previously feeling suicidal. Overdose was identified as a primary method for suicide; however, the majority of participants were unable to generate strategies for means restriction. The present study offers a glimpse into the experience of homeless individuals and provides valuable information regarding risk factors for suicide within this highly marginalized and underserved population.     

大学生自杀现象心理分析与危机干预研究

大学生自杀现象一直是教育界十分关注的问题,有关大学生的自杀与防范研究近年来取得了一些成果。对自杀者进行详细的心理分析,可帮助人们了解自杀的原因,为预防自杀提供参考。加强对自杀的危机干预,可最大限度地避免悲剧发生。目前我国高校的自杀防范措施,主要通过对自杀的防范教育与心理咨询来实现。     

老舍作品中"自杀情结"透视

老舍笔下的自杀者有着近乎一致的共同特征,老舍对他们不仅同情,更多的是理解和赞赏。他们身上寄托着老舍对中国古典文人传统的人格理想的继承与对西方文化哲理的吸纳,透射着老舍的生命观念与人格理想。     

试论约翰·贝里曼的情欲诗写

美国自白派诗人约翰·贝里曼在诗歌创作中大胆建构以男性为中心、以感官享受为主的情欲世界,其情欲诗写不仅表现出自我分裂、性施虐等生命价值和人性本真的失落、挣扎,更蕴含了极为深湛的负罪感和自赎情结,这种负罪感来源于他对情欲体验的强烈渴望与内心宗教道德伦理之间的种种矛盾.在灵与肉的剧烈冲突中贝里曼患上了严重的抑郁症,向上帝忏悔却未能实现精神上的涅槃,最终自杀身亡.贝里曼情欲诗写中的自我情欲从压抑到萌芽再到爆发直至息止的变化,揭示了人类心灵中深邃、阴暗和错综复杂的欲望本质,亦为情欲泛滥的现代社会敲响了警钟.     

The Effects of Suicide on the Private Practitioner: A Professional and Personal Perspective

A patient's suicide has a profound effect on the therapist and psychotherapy with a chronically suicidal patient is particularly troubling. Guilt over one's failure to recognize the warning signs, fear of one's incompetence or irresponsibility, shame that one has failed, and fear of being blamed by the patient's loved ones and by colleagues are feelings that frequently surface and that can result in isolating a practitioner from the very sources of peer support that are necessary in order to resolve the trauma. This article explores the effects of suicide on the private practitioner. It discusses how burnout and vicarious traumatization impact upon the therapist who treats the chronically suicidal patient. Two clinical examples illustrate the impact of working with imminent suicide and the aftermath of a patient's death from a personal perspective. Recommendations are made to help private practitioners maintain equilibrium when working with these overwhelming case situations.     

论《丧钟为谁而鸣》中“自杀”主题的颠覆

《丧钟为谁而鸣》发表于1940年，海明威在作品里归纳了以前在诸多短篇小说中出现的自杀主题。这无疑是海明威解决他对于父亲自杀这一问题的最明显的尝试。通过与海明威其他几篇小说的对比和小说中人物对话的解构，详尽分析了主人翁乔丹的一系列思想变化，并对自杀行为从羞耻，理解到接受的颠覆过程进行了剖析。阐明了海明威在《丧钟为谁而鸣》中终结了因父亲自杀而鄙夷父亲的矛盾情怀，并对自杀的可能性有了清醒的认识。     

论湘献王朱柏之死

明朝洪武年间,朱元璋第12子朱柏被封为湘王,就藩荆州,后自杀身亡。朱柏选择以自焚这种方式来了结与建文帝的恩怨,可能与他的道教信仰有关。朱柏之死,对明初的政治走向产生了重大的影响。