Existential Distress in Palliative Care: Assessment, Communication and Therapeutic Interventions

By Caruntu Adriana

Serious illness affects far more than the body. It often challenges a person's identity, purpose, dignity, relationships, beliefs, and understanding of life itself. Patients facing life-limiting diseases frequently ask profound questions: Why is this happening to me? What gives my life meaning now? How do I cope with suffering? What legacy will I leave behind?
Existential Distress in Palliative Care provides healthcare professionals with a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for recognizing, assessing, communicating about, and treating existential suffering in patients receiving palliative care.
Drawing on psychology, psychiatry, palliative medicine, spiritual care, ethics, philosophy, and communication science, this practical guide translates complex existential concepts into interventions that can be implemented in everyday clinical practice.
The book explores validated assessment tools, therapeutic communication techniques, meaning-centered therapy, dignity therapy, spiritual care, narrative interventions, life review, interdisciplinary collaboration, and culturally sensitive approaches for addressing existential suffering across diverse healthcare settings.
Rich with practical guidance, clinical examples, and evidence-based recommendations, this resource helps professionals provide compassionate, person-centered care that addresses not only physical symptoms but also the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and existential dimensions of serious illness.
Whether working in hospitals, hospices, outpatient clinics, community programs, or home-based palliative care, readers will find practical strategies for supporting patients and families through some of life's most difficult moments.

Why You Should Read and Buy This BookGain practical clinical skills for identifying and managing existential distress using evidence-based assessment tools and therapeutic interventions.Improve communication about meaning, hope, dignity, suffering, spirituality, and end-of-life concerns with greater confidence and compassion.Apply internationally recognized approaches from psychology, palliative care, psychiatry, spiritual care, and ethics to improve patient-centered care.
What Makes This Book UniqueOne of the few comprehensive books devoted entirely to existential distress in palliative care, integrating theory with practical clinical application.Combines psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, spirituality, ethics and palliative medicine into a single interdisciplinary framework.Focuses on real-world assessment, communication, and therapeutic interventions, making it directly useful for daily clinical practice.
Who Should Read This Book?
This book is designed for: Palliative care physiciansNursesClinical psychologistsPsychiatristsSocial workersSpiritual care professionalsChaplainsPsychotherapistsHospice professionalsOncology teamsFamily physiciansResearchersUniversity lecturersMaster's and PhD studentsHealthcare educatorsHealthcare managersProfessionals working with patients living with serious or life-limiting illnesses

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H7Q46PRN
• ISBN13: 9798185697344
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"