The Stigma of Dying: New Findings on an Old Theme

The professional literature examining social aspects of dying indicates that dying of cancer will attract negative and rejecting attitudes from others. This paper explores this theme by discussing findings from a study in which people with terminal illness were interviewed about their views of other peoples' reactions to them. Contrary to expectation, most of the respondents reported either no change, or positive changes, in their relationship with their friends. One important implication for social work practice is that the terminally ill should be prepared for the best, as well as the worst, in other peoples' reactions to them.