Although there is a large body of research about emotional labour in workplace settings, such as the health professions and the service industry, less is known about the empirical processes through which emotional labour is taught in higher education and professional education. Using medical education as an example, a discursive psychological (DP)…

Demoralization is a feeling state of dejection, hopelessness, and a sense of personal "incompetence" that may be tied to a loss of or threat to one's own goals or values. It has an existential dimension when beliefs and values about oneself are disconfirmed. Numerous sources describe high rates of dissatisfaction and burnout in…

Recent investigations into the UK National Health Service revealed doctors' failures to act with compassion and professionalism towards patients. The British media asked questions about what happens to students during their learning that influences such behaviour as doctors. We listened to 200 medical students' narratives of professionalism…

The goal of this research was to understand better the perspectives held by physicians and patients regarding what factors determine the appropriateness of medical visits. We also wished to create a convenient measure of those perspectives. In our first study, we conducted focus groups separately composed of 22 physicians and 16 patients to…

Purpose: Patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) may present a unique set of symptoms and challenges to family caregivers compared with other types of dementia. Prominent difficulties include motor impairment, activities of daily living (ADLs) disability, recurrent behavioral and emotional problems (BEPs), and diagnostic difficulties. These…

An experienced physician-teacher shares her own experiences with loss in medicine and loss in her personal life. Through personal writings during her divorce, she exemplifies the healing effect writing can have during difficult transformations that occur in life. She shares her bias that physicians need to accept and own their emotions and can use…

A 12-year-old boy with no psychiatric history and no evidence of substance use presents with his first manic episode. Throughout the past 4 weeks, his family, school, and friends have noted distinct changes in his mood and behavior. His mood has oscillated between euphoria and severe irritability, with little or no provocation. He has been awake…

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been receiving considerable attention by the medical community as well as by the public. This attention is due to the rapid increase in cases of AIDS, the uncertain etiology of the disease, and the poor prognosis of the disease. Although some research has investigated the psychological impact of AIDS…

The object of this research is to determine if medical schools in the United States are offering death education. The study is basically reportorial. Rationale for the study and a review of selected literature are stated. An increased emphasis on death education in recent years is found both in the literature and the data presented here. The…