The Loneliness of the Dying Person: An Exploratory Study

Fifty terminal ill cancer patients were interviewed to learn of their possible feelings of loneliness, the nature of important and sustaining relationships, and the effect of illness upon their lives. Most of the patients did not report loneliness as such; among those who did, the night time was most frequently the occasion for sense of loneliness. The nurse was not viewed as a reliever of loneliness; instead, patients tended to seek sleep as refuge. Most of the patients' interpersonal support came from the family, and most of their own concerns centered around the family and the possibility of going home again. The findings suggest that the experience of being seriously ill leads many patients to view life differently, that maintenance of hope remains very important to the terminally ill, that increasing dependency on others is a cause of much concern, and that religious faith often takes on a new dimension under these circumstances.