Expectations in the Communication About Death and Dying From a Caregiver’s Perspective
The End-Of-Life Conversation – Expectation Scale – Caregiver (Eolc-E-c)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13629534 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sophie Kievernagel (0009-0004-8344-3030, Philipps University of Marburg, corresponding author), Yannik Bendel (0000-0001-9184-2825, Philipps University of Marburg), Christian Schulz-Quach (0000-0002-5615-2113, University of Toronto), Pia Von Blanckenburg (0000-0001-7899-9828, Philipps University of Marburg) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 302228251414755-302228251414755 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228251414755 |
| PMID | 41527256 |
| OpenAlex | W7123344652 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Communication about the end-of-life (EOL) is often avoided, despite its association with positive outcomes for those affected and their caregivers. Negative expectations seem to be a mechanism through which avoidance is maintained. This study examined existing expectations in talking about death to a significant other and validated a caregiver's version of the End-of-Life Conversation - Expectation Scale (EOLC-E-c) with a German community sample of N = 250. Participants most frequently expected EOL conversations to cause sadness in themselves and the other person. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original three-factor structure: Expected own emotional burden (α = .92), expected emotional burden of the other person (α = .94), and communication self-efficacy (=.90). Internal consistency of the scale was excellent, and its validity was supported. Using the scale could be valuable for clinicians and researchers in understanding individuals' expectations concerning EOL conversations and in developing targeted interventions focusing on expectation violation
Confirmatory factor analysis · Conversation · German · Internal consistency · Psychological intervention · Sadness · Sample (material · Scale (ratio · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
Report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death
Associations Between End-of-Life Discussions, Patient Mental Health, Medical Care Near Death, and Caregiver Bereavement Adjustment
A 4-item measure of depression and anxiety
The impact of advance care planning on end of life care in elderly patients
German version of the Death Attitudes Profile- Revised (DAP-GR) – translation and validation of a multidimensional measurement of attitudes towards death
Caregivers' Communication with Patients about Illness and Death
Development and Validation of the Communication Apprehension About Death Scale
Why Is It Just So Hard? Making Sense of End-of-Life Communication Between Adult Children and Their Terminally Ill Parental Figures
Expectations in the Communication About Death and Dying
Exploring the Connection Between End-of-Life Relational Communication and Personal Growth After the Death of a Loved One
Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward Death, Dying, Grief, and the Finitude of Life—A Representative Survey Among the General Public in Germany
Death Cafe
Talking about dying and death
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |