Suffering and end-of-life decision-making
Publication Details
Isaacs, D.,
&
Preisz, A.
(2021).
Suffering and end-of-life decision-making.
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 57 (9), 1356-1359.
Abstract
Suffering is a complex concept, more nuanced than mere pain. Most faiths struggle with the incomprehensibility of human suffering. Claims about suffering in paediatric care can be ambiguous and value-laden. The word suffering comes from the Greek and Latin words meaning ‘to carry beneath’, and in Elizabethan England often meant to allow, as in ‘suffer the little children to come unto me’ (Fig. 1). The word passive derives from passio, the Latin word for suffering; passivity, helplessness and loss of control are core components of suffering.
Keywords
Suffering, Pediatrics, End of life decision-making, Palliative care
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