Mortality and medicine: forms of silence and of speech. Issue 2 (8th December 2003)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rowe, M
• Is Part Of: Medical humanities. Volume 29:Issue 2(2003)
• Page Start: 72
• Page End: 76
• Publication Date: 2003-12-08
• Subjects: Death -- dying -- bereavement -- silence and death; Medicine and the humanities -- Periodicals; Medical ethics -- Periodicals; 616.1
• DOI: 10.1136/mh.29.2.72
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-215X

Abstract

Abstract : Silence can be harmful to patients, their loved ones, and doctors within the contexts of illness and bereavement. I draw from my experience with my son's illness and death to discuss five forms of silence—the silence around the experience of critical illness; the silence between life and death; the silence of doctors; the silence of the dead, and the silence of the ill—and of speech that may emerge in response to these silences.