Mental Characteristies of Aged Cancer Patients and Their Way of Facing Death

Abstract

We have conducted a research on a mental-physical correlation of cancer patients and their way of facing death through psychoanalysis, sand play, dream analysis and group image therapy.Results of the research are summarized as follows.(1) Treatment for cancer patients, especially for the aged, can be too late because of their family situations caused by such factors as unclear family and lack of close parent-child relationship. Patients' personality and their will to individualization also relate to this issue.(2) We examined personality characteristics of cancer patients from the view points of their childhood experiences and object deprivation experiences in their life. Their personality characteristics were introverted, hard-working, well regulated and sociable. They were able to amintain good relationships with others. However, they were not very good at finding how to spend their time for their own leisure.(3) Japanese aged cancer patients show depression rather than anger in their process of facing death. However, in their dreams, Japanese patients showed more anger than depression in comparison with European and American patients. The importance of being touched especially for "depressive" aged cancer patients need to be stressed.(4) It became clear through dream analysis of dying cancer patients that they usually tried to integrate their life during the short term of facing death. Problems of masculinity-feminity and the aged are discussed as the main themes of this integration.(5) We also report how cance patients discussed cancer and treatment in group image therapy in connection with the problem of anouncing cancer to the patients. They could educate and encourge their spiritual development with each other no matter how their cancer situations changed. They supported and consoled each other in order to accept death. These matters are reported along with case presentations.Aged cancer patients' mental characteristics in their process of facing death are also reported.