Abstract

BARBATO, Karin Barrera de Almeida; ANTUNES, Katia Rodrigues  and  LOURENCO, Maria Teresa Cruz. Reflections on the experiences of the child with cancer in face of death. Rev. SBPH [online]. 2019, vol.22, n.1, pp. 306-327. ISSN 1516-0858.

Death is a subject not so discussed in today's society, constituting a real taboo. And if it is difficult to speak of death among adults, the task becomes even more complex when it involves children, since childhood and death are two realities that seem to be contradictory. This kind of thought makes it difficult for the elaboration of the concept of death in children who live directly with the possibility of death, as the child with cancer. This study is a narrative review of the literature with the objectives of understanding how children with cancer experience the possibility of death while being inserted in a society that denies this subject, and also identifying the possible repercussions for their personal and social dynamics in this scenario. Three thematic categories were created as guiding axes for the study: the child and death; the understanding on death of the child with cancer; how the children expresses themselves and communicates with adults about death. It is then considered that children have knowledge about death and it is important to provide a communication space for the child to express their feelings and better elaborate the experienced moment.

Keywords : death; child; communication; cancer.

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