The terminally ill patient on an acute psychiatric unit. A case study.

ABSTRACT

1. As mental health professionals, we frequently fail to realize that we are subject to the same emotions and coping mechanisms as the lay community. 2. At times it seems safer to focus on a patient's medical condition than to deal with difficult, unresolved psychological issues. 3. By using existing resources within our institution, our interdisciplinary team faced many of their unresolved issues about death, such as countertransference, and were able to then help our patient through his final stage of life.