Between Life and Death

Existential Care for People With a Death Wish Related to Unbearable Psychiatric Suffering

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9022136
AutoresSofie Verdegem (0000-0001-8410-7179, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, autor de correspondencia), Van Paesschen Rani (KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium), Joris Vandenberghe (0000-0002-3744-0304, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium), Dezutter Jessie (KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium), Thijs Vanhie (0000-0001-5298-6260, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium), Bemelmans Luc (Alexianen Zorggroep, Tienen, Belgium), Siebrecht Vanhooren (0000-0003-3775-4829, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium)
Año2025
Fecha de publicación2025-12-06
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00221678251377107
OpenAlexW4417076956
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas37

This paper examines factors that may facilitate existential counseling or psychotherapy for persons with an enduring death wish related to unbearable psychiatric suffering (DWUPS) and explores how personalized care can be provided and conditions for change can be created. The study employed a generic descriptive–interpretative qualitative research method, analyzing 10 in-depth interviews of individuals with DWUPS. Findings indicate that counseling or psychotherapy centered on acknowledgment of the death wish and the gravity of suffering—combined with genuine involvement—can foster conditions for tentative contact with oneself, others, and death-and-life concerns. Despite ongoing, multilayered suffering, participants described moments of tentative hope, emerging meaning, and a fragile sense of the right to exist. Existential counseling or psychotherapy may support individuals with DWUPS in accepting their suffering, developing the ability to engage with their death wish, and fostering meaningful connection with others and with life itself. Through acknowledgment and presence, participants not only became more attuned to their inner and relational world but also demonstrated a cautious yet tangible ability to connect—despite the weight of their suffering. The findings highlight the value of existential presence, dignity, and attunement—moving beyond symptom management toward human encounter

Existentialism · Lived experience · Qualitative research · Spirituality · Value (mathematics · Wish · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues