Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Reader 1

Theodore Bartholomew

Reader 2

Melissa Mesinas

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2021 Maya N Chavez

Abstract

There is extensive evidence to show that palliative care is effective in improving quality of life, decreasing depressive symptoms, and prolonging the life expectancy of terminally ill patients. Although there is a considerable amount of research investigating the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions in palliative care settings, little research has been conducted from multicultural perspectives. Recognizing and respecting cultural differences is essential in providing effective and quality palliative care. The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of family-centered care as a culturally informed model in improving well-being among terminally ill Latinx patients in palliative care. In this longitudinal study, participants will receive a psychotherapeutic intervention for 16 weeks. The control group will receive meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP), and the experimental group will receive MCP plus family-centered care. Participants will complete a series of questionnaires before and after treatment to assess improvements in their general well-being as well as the degree to which they perceive the care to be culturally sensitive. Four multiple regressions will be conducted to determine the relationship across all variables, well-being, cultural humility, and family integration over the course of treatment. It is predicted that the implementation of family-centered care will increase the efficacy of MCP in that participant reports of well-being and perceptions of cultural sensitivity will increase relative to those who do not receive family-centered care. This research is essential as developing culture-informed care in the context of palliative care will increase access and treatment to minoritized groups.

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