Social Support and Stress Buffering During End-of-Life Communication: The Role of Messages in Alleviating Concerns When Death is Imminent

Abstract

Social support within the realm of health communication has been studied quite extensively. However, there seems to be a dearth of research related to the role of social support from family members and friends when one is facing imminent death. This case study focuses on the role of communication during end-of-life situations, focusing on messages of social support, which serve to buffer the anxieties and stressors that manifest themselves. After a brief review of four interrelated bodies of literature (end-of-life communication, social support, communication accommodation theory, and the stress buffering hypothesis), the authors present an actual case study highlighting James, who just received grave news from his physician about the reemergence of his cancer, and the conversations that emerge among him, his wife, several members of his immediate family, and his best friend. By the end of the case study, the role of social support messages and their link to accommodation and stress buffering will be understood within the realm of end-of-life communication.