Some Observations on the Process of Dying

The paper discusses the process of dying as observed in a sample of 30 patients in a cancer ward at a Massachusetts hospital. This process is found to involve changes in self‐identity and role‐definition; various modes of re‐adjustment of the patient to his new role; certain patterns of patient‐personnel and patient‐family communication and interaction; and typical reactions of patients' children to the situation. The last section of the paper discusses briefly the implications of societal attitudes toward death for medical institutions.