Living with Death: the Need for Rapprochement Between Thanatology and the Sciences of Physical and Mental Health

Abstract

Introduction

In the development of human development, death is part and simultaneously point toward which converge all previous phases. To die is to achieve the full development of existence. Every living organism dies. But only humans can reflect on that dimension of life. Despite being ordered life to death and the human being equipped to rationalize, understand and mean it, culturally death was banned from ruminations and away to the thought; though not always and not everywhere has been so.

Method

Interdisciplinary research in articles published in journals and works in the fields of Psychiatry, Psychology, Theology and Thanatology, as well as the literature review Concerning the resolution of mourning resilience through.

Aim

To investigate the relevance of the inclusion of the discipline of thanatology and education for death in the curriculum of grades of mental and physical health sciences.

Results

Based on the research conducted, we present the need for education for death and the meaning of life, the training of health professionals, and the incorporation of the discipline of thanatology curriculum graduations of Medicine and Psychology.

Conclusion

Thanatology is the scientific research on death and dying; contemplates the polysemy of daily losses, and proposes a semiotic exercise about the symbolic deaths; being a tool for the preparation of health professionals for anthropological conflict that arises from contact and living with terminal illness.