Significant Others Research Articles

Understanding experiences, unmet needs and priorities related to post-stroke aphasia care: stage one of an experience-based co-design project

ObjectivePeople with post-stroke aphasia (language/communication impairment) and their supporters report mixed satisfaction with stroke and aphasia care. To date, however, their journey of care and the key service interactions that...

The biology of reactivity in human relationships: a conversation with Victoria Harrison

AbstractThe concept of differentiation of self and its relationship to the natural capacity of humans and other social animals to adapt underpins clinician and researcher Victoria Harrison's long‐term investigation of the biology of reactivity in relationships. Victoria's early research related to infertility and reproduction demonstrated how reactivity in at least three prior generations can contribute to chronic conditions, such as endometriosis, that are less amenable to intervention. Her most recent project, the ‘Observations of Change in Physiology and Family’ research, highlights how work on differentiation of self improves functional outcomes in physical and mental health for the family. While an individual may not experience the ‘calm mind’ that is often the goal of conventional therapeutic intervention, a significant reduction in symptoms and an improvement in overall functioning and relatedness are outcomes. This occurred when participants focused on increasing person‐to‐person contact with extended family members, reducing their emotional reactivity to significant others in the important triangles of their life and family and maintaining intellectual activity, often described as curiosity, even while reacting.

Explorative observational study of Dutch patient-clinician interactions: operationalisation of personal perspective elicitation as part of shared decision-making in real-life audio-recorded consultations.

Patients' preferences, values and contexts are important elements of the shared decision-making (SDM) process. We captured those elements into the concept of 'personal perspective elicitation' (PPE), which reflects the need to elicit patients' preferences, values and contexts in patient-clinician conversations. We defined PPE as: 'the disclosure (either elicited by the clinician or spontaneously expressed by the patient) of information related to the patient's personal preferences, values and/or contexts potentially relevant to decision-making'. Our goal was to operationalise the concept of PPE through the evaluation of preferences, values and contexts and explore how PPE occurs in clinical encounters. Cross-sectional study: observational coding based on a novel coding scheme of audio-recorded outpatient clinical encounters where encounter patient decision aids were applied. We audio-recorded patient-clinician interactions at three Dutch outpatient clinics. PPE was analysed using a novel observational coding scheme, distinguishing preferences, contexts and four Armstrong taxonomy value types (global, decisional, external and situational). We measured SDM using the Observer OPTION5. Twenty patients who suffered from psoriasis or ovarian cysts; four clinicians. We included 20 audio-recordings. The mean Observer OPTION5 score was 57.5 (SD:10.1). The audio-recordings gave a rich illustration of preferences, values and contexts that were discussed in the patient-clinician interactions. Examples of identified global values: appearance, beliefs, personality traits. Decisional values were related to the process of decision-making. External values related to asking advice from for example, the clinician or significant others. An identified situational value: a new job ahead. Contexts related to how the illness impacted the life (eg, sexuality, family, sports, work life) of patients. The operationalisation of PPE, an important aspect of SDM, explores which preferences, values and contexts were discussed during patient-clinician interactions where an ePDA was used. The coding scheme appeared feasible to apply but needs further refinement.

Burden of the Fruity: Family Support and Suicide Ideation as Mediators Between Discrimination and Suicide Behavior in LGBTQ+ Malaysians

ABSTRACT Malaysian pervasive climate places its LGBTQ+ residents at heightened risk for suicidal behaviors (SB). This cross-sectional study aimed to elucidate connections between minority stressors (discrimination), types of social supports, and suicidality in this marginalized population. Utilizing online surveys, 317 LGBTQ+ Malaysians aged 18–49 provided data regarding experienced discrimination, perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others, suicidal ideation (SI), and SB. Quantitative analyses illuminated several key findings. First, discrimination is positively associated with SB, while all support types are inversely related to SB, with family support demonstrating the strongest correlation. Regression modeling revealed family support as the sole unique predictor of reduced SB. Serial mediation analysis uncovered nuanced indirect pathways from discrimination to SB, with SI, but not family support alone, significantly mediating this relationship. However, reduced family support resulting from discrimination sequentially heightened SI and SB. Despite pervasive societal bias, family and friend acceptance may curb the LGBTQ+ community’s elevated suicide risk by mitigating resultant ideation. These insights highlight the need for public health initiatives promoting social support and LGBTQ+ inclusivity laying the groundwork to safeguard this population’s psychological wellbeing.

Partner betrayal trauma and trust: Understanding the impact on attachment style and self-esteem

Dismissal of an individual's emotional experience by their significant others can have a massive impact on the psychological well-being of the individual. Betrayal trauma discusses the prevalent social phenomenon and its short- as well as long-term impacts on an individual. This study focused on betrayal trauma in romantic relationships. It aimed to find its relation with an individual's self-esteem and attachment styles, with trust as a mediating variable. The tools used in the study- were the partner betrayal trauma trust scale, adult attachment scale and self-esteem scale, each of which was a self-report measurement scale circulated among young adults in the Indian population. The study consisted of 140 participants (n = 140) with a mean age of 21.7 and a standard deviation (SD) of 2.05. The participants included 85% female, 16% male, 3% of the participants identified as genderfluid, and 2% of the participants preferred not to mention their gender. The results from the study show that betrayal trauma in romantic relationships is related to an individual's attachment style and self-esteem. A positive significant correlation was found between betrayal trauma, self-esteem and attachment style, which reveals the impact of betrayal trauma on the psychological well-being of an individual. These findings may aid mental health practitioners in helping young adults resolve their relationship crises and enhance their lifestyles in India.

Childhood and Midlife Cultural Awareness and Activity Engagement Among Korean Married Couples.

Cultural reproduction theory posits that cultural resources are transmitted across generations, suggesting early parental influences on cultural experiences in adulthood. Further, cultural resources may be transferred within the same generation-through significant others, such as spouses. This study investigates cultural engagement among middle-aged adults, focusing on individual and spousal influences of childhood cultural engagement. A sample of 1,271 couples (age 49-66) from the 2012 Korean Baby Boomer Panel Study and the Korean Forgotten Generation Study was analyzed. Each respondent reported the number of arts and cultural activities (e.g., paintings, literature, and classical music) and levels of perceived cultural engagement (i.e., cultural awareness) during childhood and at midlife. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) were estimated to examine how spouses' childhood and midlife cultural engagement were linked within couples. Findings showed that wives reported higher levels of activity participation and cultural awareness in childhood and midlife, compared to husbands. The APIM results indicated that beyond one's own childhood cultural engagement, spouse's childhood cultural awareness was associated with both levels of participation in arts and cultural activities (only for husbands) and cultural awareness (for both husbands and wives) at midlife. Cultural activities and awareness can be valuable assets to enhance overall well-being in later life. Given the cross-spousal associations in cultural engagement among Korean middle-aged couples, both spouses' cultural resources need to be considered for the design of interventions and policies to cultivate cultural competence and promote cultural engagement in adulthood.

Perceived Social Support and Connectedness in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Engagement.

Perceived social support has been posited as an important factor in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) cessation. Although, previous research suggests that social connectedness is the mechanism through which perceived social support influences psychological wellbeing. Thus, the present study investigated whether social connectedness is the mechanism through which perceived social support functions to influence NSSI engagement. Fifty-six women with (Mage = 20.18, SD = 2.07) and 84 without (Mage = 20.24, SD = 1.98) a history of NSSI completed online measures of perceived social support and social connectedness. A mediation model was conducted with social connectedness in the relation between perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others and NSSI engagement. Findings revealed that social connectedness fully explained the relation between perceived social support from all sources and NSSI engagement. The results suggest that the relation between perceived social support and NSSI engagement is fully explained by the degree to which individuals report feeling connected to others. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed.

Physical restraint intervention in the intensive care unit: An observational pilot study.

Physical restraint (PR) is applied for patients' safety and to prevent the removal of inserted devices. No matter how well applied, PR causes undesired effects and discomfort to patients. Because PR-Guidelines are not yet implemented in Turkey, an observational study was performed to get baseline data on the type and number of PR-activities and on patients' complications in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. An observational pilot study was conducted in anesthesia and reanimation adult ICUs in a midsized general hospital in Turkey. Included were 31 patients and two data collection tools: a basic form (patient demographics, medical information, and complications) and a PR observation guide on nurses' PR-activities. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and mean and standard deviation) were used for data evaluation. Most patients (61.3%) were male, and 74.2% were aged 60-79 years. Almost a third was unconscious (Glasgow Coma Scale <9) and at risk for falling. Of the total 33 activities of the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), 13 were never applied in 33% of patients. The most applied activity was "provide sufficient staff to assist with the safe application of physical restraining devices or manual restraints" (96.8%). Least applied were "explain inpatient and significant others the behaviors necessary for the termination of the intervention," "Provide the dependent patient with a means of summoning help" (6.5%), and "Teach family the risks and benefits of restraint reduction" (3.2%). Overall, 58.1% of patients had PR complications. For the first time, PR NIC activities were evaluated in a Turkish ICU. Findings show low performance of NIC activities and a high complication rate. The findings provide the basis to implement a PR-Guideline in Turkish ICUs to enhance patients' safety and comfort.

Social Support as a Correlate of Depression and Quality of Life Among Nigerian Older Adults: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Reduced social support has been associated with presence of depression and reduced quality of life among older adults. The relationships may be better understood by exploring the interactions of individual domains among the constructs. This cross-sectional survey involved a consecutive sample of 206 (116 females and 90 males) older adults living in a Southern Nigeria community. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Geriatric Depression Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life-OLD Questionnaire, were used to measure social support, depression, and quality of life respectively. Data was analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean, standard deviation, multiple regression and Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient, at 0.05 alpha level. Prevalence rate of depression among participants was 45.5%. Social support was perceived to be low by 37.4% of participants with the lowest mean social support score coming from friends domain. Participants' quality of life was generally fairly good (> 60%) with the lowest scores coming from the intimacy domain. Significant correlations between social support domains and each of quality of life (p < 0.05) and depression were respectively positive and negative; but weakest for the friend and strongest for significant others domains. All quality of life domains were significantly correlated with social support except the death and dying domain. All the domains of social support (family and significant other) were significant predictors of depression except the friend domain. Significant others around individual older adults particularly those with depression ought to be educated on the importance of their roles. Stakeholders including healthcare providers may create and support programmes for improved social networking for the older adults in order to enhance their general wellbeing and quality of life.

Perceptions of Chinese women with a history of gestational diabetes regarding health behaviors and related factors: a directed qualitative content analysis

BackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders during pregnancy and is associated with adverse outcomes in both mothers and their children. After delivery, women who experience GDM are also at higher risk of both subsequent GDM and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than those who do not. Therefore, healthcare providers and public health practitioners need to develop targeted and effective interventions for GDM. In this study, we aimed to explore the perceptions regarding health behaviors and related factors during the inter-pregnancy period among Chinese women with a history of GDM through the lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB).MethodsBetween December 2021 and September 2022, 16 pregnant Chinese women with a history of GDM were purposively recruited from a tertiary maternity hospital in Shanghai for face-to-face semi-structured interviews. They were asked questions regarding their health behaviors and related factors. The transcribed data were analyzed using a directed qualitative content analysis method based on the theory of TPB.ResultsThe health-related behaviors of the women varied substantially. We identified five domains that influenced women’s behaviors according to TPB constructs and based on the data collected: behavioral attitude (perceived benefits of healthy behaviors and the relationship between experience and attitude towards the oral glucose tolerance testing); subjective norms (influences of significant others and traditional cultural beliefs); perceived behavior control (knowledge of the disease, multiple-role conflict, the impact of COVID-19, an unfriendly external environment and difficulty adhering to healthy diets), incentive mechanisms (self-reward and external incentives); preferences of professional and institutional support (making full use of social media platform and providing continuous health management).ConclusionsThe health-related behaviors of women with a history of GDM were found to be affected by multiple factors. Healthcare professionals are recommended to provide women with sufficient information regarding the disease and to take advantage of the power of the family and other social support networks to improve women’s subjective norms and to promote the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

Examining the association between coping strategies and perceived social support among Vietnamese infertile women undergoing IVF treatment

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine the association between coping strategies and perceived social support among women diagnosed with infertility and undergoing IVF treatment. A total of 383 Vietnamese women were invited to participate in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire consisting of The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Copenhagen Multi-centre Psychosocial Infertility coping scales and the Fertility Problem Inventory, and other relevant questions. The results reveal that coping strategies significantly predict some specific types of perceived social supports among women undergoing IVF treatment. Specifically, passive-avoidance coping (PAC) and active-avoidance coping (AAC) predicts a decrease in receiving support from family and friends, whereas active-confronting coping (ACC) predicts an increase in receiving support from these two sources of support. Women who demonstrate increased meaning-based coping (MBC) received all three sources of support including family, friends, and significant others support. Despite some limitations, this study is useful in understanding how coping strategies among women undergoing IVF treatment affects the social support received in the Vietnamese social context. It also emphasizes the importance of psychological support for women facing IVF treatment distress.

Abstract PO1-12-01: 'Not even my husband knows that I have this [breast cancer]': Survivors’ Experiences in Accessing, Navigating and Coping with Treatment

Abstract Purpose: Nigeria has the highest breast cancer (BC) burden in Africa. While the survival rates for BC are over 90% in many high-income countries; low-and middle-income countries like Nigeria have 40% BC survival rates. Prior studies show that the burden and poor BC survival rates are exacerbated by both health system and individual level factors, yet there is a paucity of literature on the experiences of BC survivors in Nigeria. Hence, this study explored BC survivors' divergent and convergent experiences in accessing, navigating, and coping with treatment. Methods: Participants (N=24, aged 35 to 73 years) were recruited and engaged in focus group discussions (Group 1, n = 11; Group 2, n = 13 participants). Transcripts were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were identified: “I am carrying this [breast cancer] alone”, “Living my life”, “‘God’ helped me”, and “A very painful journey”. Participants described how they concealed their BC diagnosis from family and significant others while accessing and navigating BC treatment. Also, they adopted spiritual beliefs as a coping mechanism while sticking to their treatment and acknowledging the burden of BC on their wellbeing. Conclusions: Our findings point to the urgent need for improved BC treatment facilities in Nigeria. Implications for Breast Cancer Survivors: Nigeria BC survivors are navigating both limited treatment facilities and coping with the personal challenges of BC diagnosis. There is a need for the government and clinicians to explore innovative technologies in improving BC treatment experiences in Nigeria. Citation Format: Runcie C.W. Chidebe, Tochukwu C. Orjiakor, Gloria C. Okwu, Mary-Gloria A. Orji, THEODORA Nwosu-Zita, Agha A. Agha, Simeon C. Aruah, Chika Okem-Akwiwu, Candidus C. Nwakasi, Akwasi Adjei Gyimah, Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, Ifeoma J. Okoye, Darlingtina K. Esiaka. 'Not even my husband knows that I have this [breast cancer]': Survivors’ Experiences in Accessing, Navigating and Coping with Treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-12-01.

Significant others and children’s mental toughness in sports: a longitudinal test of the social influence in sport model

ABSTRACT Mental toughness (MT) is a multidimensional psychological construct that characterises individuals who are psychologically persistent and durable in the face of challenges, adversities, and stressors. This two-wave longitudinal study examined if the social influences of coaches, fathers, mothers, and peers were predictive of children’s mental toughness in sport contexts. Participants were 112 children (7 to 12 years old) who played basketball at the recreational level in China. At baseline and 3-month follow-up, they completed a questionnaire measuring their mental toughness and perception of social influences, such as positive influence, punishment, and dysfunction, from the four social agents. The model with correlations between social influence and mental toughness at a change-score level yielded excellent goodness-of-fit using variance-based structural equation modeling (VB-SEM). Children’s mental toughness was positively associated with positive influence, and negatively associated with punishment and dysfunction. Multi-group SEM showed that the relationships were invariant between coaches, fathers, mothers, and peers. The findings show that children are more likely to have increased mental toughness when significant others exert positive social influence in the sporting environment.

Guidance on the Effective Collaboration With Interpreters and Translators in Speech-Language Pathology

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to guide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) on how to increase effective collaboration with interpreters and translators in order to enhance communication with clients and significant others from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Method: A review of definitions of interpretation and translations and practical guidance on certifications and collaborative practices within a health literacy framework approach is described. Strategies to build effective and ethical SLP–interpreter/translator working relationships are reviewed. Results: Findings emphasize the importance of interprofessional collaboration between SLPs and interpreters/translators. When working with professional interpreters/translators, SLPs application of a brief–intervention–debrief framework, use of plain language, and knowledge of local and national training and practice requirements, are identified as mechanisms to enhance effective and ethical collaboration. Conclusion: Effective collaboration with interpretation and translation services should be a key component of clinical practice to ensure that health information is clearly understood by clients and families.

Sociocultural context of exclusive breastfeeding in Africa: A narrative review.

Although exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has many benefits, it is not commonly practiced in several countries as a result of context-specific challenges. EBF practice is thus a global health discourse because over 200 million children suffer from malnutrition despite the abundance of human milk. The risk of starvation remains very high among African children with less than 40% of them exclusively breastfed. In Africa, the adoption or nonadherence to EBF is a sociocultural issue. Hence, this narrative review examined the sociocultural context of EBF in the region. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched using keywords related to EBF and Africa. Relevant data from selected studies were synthesized narratively and reported using a structured narrative format. EBF is strongly rooted in every culture and is a culturally determined behavior. Some believe that colostrum is dirty and harmful to newborns and, thus, needs to be purified. Despite the belief that human milk is the best food for babies, mothers often complement human milk with other foods right from birth because of perceived lactation inadequacy. Most African mothers believe in prelacteal feeding to help cleanse the infant's gastrointestinal tract for digestion, quench thirst, flush the bladder and help the mother to rest after childbirth before breastfeeding (BF) is initiated. The role of significant others was equally found important in the decision and duration of BF. The availability of family support (especially from grandmothers and husbands) reportedly encouraged EBF in Africa. The duration and exclusivity of BF in Africa are negatively associated with demographic variables like young age, low level of education, being unmarried, low income, out of employment, and parity (first-time mother). While there have been some efforts and policies to improve EBF, it is important to consider context-specific challenges and sociocultural factors. There is a need for more deliberate efforts to encourage mothers through the implementation of effective best practices concerning EBF in Africa.

COMPARISON BETWEEN PERCEIVE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE AMONG MALE AND FEMALE OF DIPLOMA COLLEGE STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

This study aimed to determine association between perceived social support and self-acceptance, with further analysis conducted to compare gender (male and female) in perceived social support and self-acceptance among polytechnic students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 177 students who consented to participate (90 males, 87 females), with an age range between 18 and 25 years old. The respondents were recruited using convenience sampling. Validated measures, including the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support (MPSS) and the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (USAQ), were employed in this study. Descriptive analysis and inferential analysis using Pearson's correlation and independent t-tests were utilized to analyze the data. The current findings suggested a non-significant relationship between perceived support from family [r (177) = - .073, p = .335] and self-acceptance. Conversely, there was a significant positive relationship between perceived support from friends and self-acceptance [r (177) = .191, p = .011], as well as between perceived support from significant others and self-acceptance [r (177) = .177, p = .019]. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between male and female polytechnic students regarding perceived social support, including family, friends, and significant others. However, a significant difference was observed in gender and self-acceptance t (175) = -3.307, p &lt; .001) with the mean score for male self-acceptance lower than that of females. These findings contribute to the existing literature and underscore the importance of social support and self-acceptance in the well-being of diploma college students.

Workplace Stress, Social Support and Coping Strategy as Predictors of Mental Well-Being among Nurses in Ibadan

This study examines workplace stress, social support and coping strategy as predictors of mental well-being among nurses in Ibadan North Local Government (LGA) Oyo State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted while purposive sampling technique was used to select the LGA. Data were collected using validated scales from 163 participants and analyzed using zero-order correlation statistics and multiple regression analysis to test four hypotheses which were accepted at p &lt; .05 level of significance. The result revealed that significant others support and friends social support independently predicted mental well-being among nurses among study participants. Furthermore, coping strategy and workplace stress independently predicted mental well-being among nurses in the study population. Finally, workload stress, social support and coping strategy jointly predicted mental well-being among study participants. The study concluded that workplace stress, social support and coping strategy are robust predictors of mental well-being among nurses. It is recommended that management of health institutions should integrate training and education programmers that focus on coping strategy and stress reduction techniques that foster positive relationships with friends and significant others to enhance mental well-being among nurse’s workforce.

“WE FACE OBSTACLES WITH IKHLAS”: REFLECTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN RURAL TEGAL, CENTRAL JAVA, DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This study examines the psychological flexibility of elementary school’s teachers in rural settings who obliged to still carried out teaching activities during Covid-19 pandemics. The changing teaching methods, along with other daily life changes, are common to be studied in urban setting. But, the vulnerable group of teachers in rural community setting is under researched. The school in this rural setting also achieved good mark academically, even though it was hampered by the pandemic. This study employed qualitative methods with a phenomenological approach, as the most relevant design for studying a life experience. Participants were four elementary school’s teachers in rural Tegal regency, Central Java. Data was gathered through an in-depth interview, and analyzed using the tradition of content analysis. Triangulation was conducted by interviewing significant others of each participant, to maintain the credibility of the data. The results of this study showed that all the subjects, reflecting that when facing obstacles during a pandemic, they were able to bring up a set of skills that a person uses when faced with challenging thoughts, feelings, emotions, and/or experiences. Themes emerged included struggle to adapt, such as “Create New Innovations to Address Solutions," “An Attitude of Willingness to Learn to Face Challenges," “Functioning Effectively Despite Obstacles," “The Attitude of Continuing to Live Despite Obstacles”; struggle to accept, such as “Responding to Situations with a Positive Outlook”, “Gaining Wisdom," and finding meaning of events such as “Desire to Become a Better Version of Oneself.”. Meanwhile, factors that influenced psychological flexibility were teaching commitment, motivation, creativity, and social support. Overall, the study contributes to the comprehension of human virtue in a rural community setting during the hardest time of the pandemic.

Новые теоретические подходы к изучению феномена газлайтинга

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Gaslighting is typically viewed as a form of psychological manipulation that makes the victim doubt his or her sense of reality and leads to a loss of agency and mental stability. It was spotted over 60 years ago and has long been the subject of study by psychiatrists. Recently, interest in the phenomenon of gaslighting has grown significantly, becoming the subject of research by scientists of various scientific disciplines, which inevitably leads to the expansion of the meaning of this phenomenon and endowing it with additional properties. Psychology is thought to have contributed to this process through the study of symbolic interactionism, attachment theory, self-verification theory, and shared reality. This article presents the dynamics of the development of this term, defines the main features of this phenomenon, and analyzes the basis on which new approaches to the study of gaslighting in modern international psychology are built. The most common assumption in the latest studies is that gaslighting is possible when standard social-cognitive mechanisms are involved in atypical social situations. Relationships with significant others largely determine people's epistemic needs: close people shape and reflect an individual's self-image and perception of the surrounding reality. It is this special position of loved ones that gives gaslighters leverage over the victim.&lt;/p&gt;

The Magic of Death

Death awareness can serve as an awakening experience and act as a powerful spark for significant life changes. The central question is, “How could death awareness and its creative examination transform our fear of death, open a path to liberation and self-empowerment, expand our consciousness, and lead us toward more meaningful, creative, and service-oriented lives?” The premise is that, instead of avoiding the reality of death, there is an opportunity to look into it and examine our fixed ideas and preconceptions about it—focusing on the person’s fear of their death and not on their other fears related to the death and dying of significant others. Furthermore, the article examines death as a catalyst for significant life changes and fear of death, further exploring how death anxiety shows up in our lives, why reducing death denial is essential, how to honor death and all the lessons it teaches us, and how to transform our relationship with our mortality. It examines cross-cultural wisdom and alternative epistemologies that support the transformation of our death, such as spirituality, creativity, consciousness, transpersonal psychology, and Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. Future research would expand on the idea that the transformation of the relationship with death could foster personal growth and intensify connections to Earth and all living beings.