Psychological Stress And Death

There is a kind of phenomenon of increasing mortality in the date, week, or a particular season that usually associated with a variety of background situations, such as deaths from influenza in the winter season, deaths from traffic accidents during the holiday weekend, the death of a heart attack on Monday and even death at a certain hour every day (circadian cycle). Increased mortality, patterned according to certain circumstances may be associated with fluctuations in natural processes (such as changes in the annual cycle) or associated with sociocultural issues (such as: changes in activities of daily work and holiday weekends)

It is known also that psychological stress can affect health even a person's death. Complex mechanism of this much discussed in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. In the history of epidemiology, researchers have also noticed a lot of factors that is wide enough, but focused on the influence of physical, chemical, and biological effects of environmental and socio-cultural factors negatively on the death, such as losing a loved one, job loss and divorce. However, on the one side the most significant events for the individual can delay the moment of death, as someone who is in critical condition may be entering a phase 'bargaining' with God to stay alive until his son's wedding.

A story on the experience of a hospital doctor who had loaded in the BMJ may be able to describe how great the influence of 'psychological stress' to the death.
A male patient aged 58 years, Indian traders who worked in Africa came to the hospital with complaints of chest pain. His wife and son 35-year-old with the patient during the examination had electrocardiography showed posterior myocardial infarction. This patient was believed that he would die that day. Before therapy was given, he said, "the doctor, you know I'm 58 years old. My brother died 3 years ago at the age of 58 years, my aunt also died at the age of 58 years and ... .., 'I interrupted, thinking for a moment, how great the 'superstition' possession of medical science. "You will not die, sir. You just need a good night's sleep. Please say good night to your wife and kids". ".... And sayapun brother died of heart disease, age 58 years and ... ..," The patient was still went on. After that I took his wife and son left the intensive care room. His wife asked me to give permission to accompany her husband during the night, but hospital policy does not allow families to sleep in intensive care. His son was once again asked me to allow her to stay, but I politely refused the request and led them out of the 11-hour care at night. At 5:15 in the morning hours, approximately 6 hours after I left the intensive care room, the phone rang. "Doctor ... ..," the nurse who agitated voice, "your patient's condition changed". This word euphemisms to express the patient has died. I am sure that the death had indeed occurred when he heard his wife scream crying outside the door. "How does he doctor ....?" . I still do not know what to say to the patient's wife said. Then he said "the doctor, do something for me, help me, I beg ..". "What else can I do?". My voice slowly in some confusion. "Give me a shot that could make me go with him, I asked ... ..". There is no a word out of me in silence. I heard approaching footsteps and the sound of her son, "how my father?" . These events sometimes makes me want to cry as she remembered her words back then, "We have repeatedly pleaded to let us spend time with his father on his last night in the world and the doctor did not give it a chance .."


An age of death is reduced or is a psychological stress to the number 58?


Close relationship between stress and mortality can be seen clearly in the sudden death syndrome, where individuals who appeared healthy, died suddenly within a matter of minutes or hours due to a significant event. Cannon WB (1942) call it voodoo death. In 1965, Engel GL collected 275 cases of sudden death that was published in newspapers and analyzed. In the division into 4 categories of causes, most deaths (135 cases) caused by traumatic events on the close relationship between people, then 103 cases due to a dangerous situation, the struggle and the 'attack'. Then continued with 21 cases of death due to loss of status, self-esteem, failure (all the 'victims' in this category are: men), and in 16 cases of death occurred during 'big win' or 'feel good'. But of all of these cases can be concluded that the 'victim' died suddenly confronted by an event that can not be ignored, so disturbing, is not expected, with the dramatic quality of intensity and are irreversible or permanent.

The amount of influence of psychological stress on mortality is extremely difficult when the research will be carried out experimentally because ethis hit problems, so the relationship the two lots examined through epidemiological approach.

Philips DP, et al, conduct research with the relationship between psychological stress mortality through epidemiological studies to approach cultural phenomena, namely an unpleasant association or a negative association in a single group of cultures (China and Japan) with a group of other cultures (American and European) to symbol number 4 with death. In the language of China, and Japan Kantonese word 'number 4' and 'dead' is pronounced almost the same. Thus the culture of China and Japan the number 4 is not fun. Examples of some of these consequences is a hospital in China and Japan did not include the 4th floor or room number 4. In the culture of China and Japan was inevitable to make the trip on Feb. 4. With these basic hypotheses are made, if indeed the numbers are 4 numbers then the psychological stress caused mortality will reach the peak on Feb. 4 at the Japanese culture and China than any other culture. The results are quite astounding the peak number of deaths in China and the Japanese people who previously suffered from heart disease compared to 4 on the Americans and Europeans. Regarding the number 13 with 'dead' there is not pronounced the same pronunciation in American and European culture, so there is no increase in mortality rate at that date.

The influence of early psychological stress and the early days of each week of death has also been studied by several researchers. Evans C, et al conduct research data based on death records in Scotland between the years 1986 to 1995 that includes 91,193 men and 79,051 women who die of coronary heart disease. Data obtained an increase in death on Monday due to coronary heart disease (CHD) outside the hospital to people who had not been previously hospitalized due to CHD. The cause of increase in deaths was probably caused by the increase in drinking on the weekends or psychological stress is also due to work on the first day of work. While the influence of increased early morbidity and mortality can be caused by some unpleasant events such as psychological stress due to various bills payment. Research Durkheim (1897) showed also a high suicide rate compared to the beginning of the end of the month. Shaner, et al who conducted a study of 105 veterans who suffer from schizophrenia showed an increase in hospitalization rates at the beginning of the month due to cocaine use, after they receive disability benefits from the government. In addition also drug abuse and cocaine use increase the incidence of suicide, homicide and traffic accidents.

Witte DR, et al researched the influence of psychological stress on the size of football addicts in the Netherlands during the match between the Netherlands against French teams in the quarter-finals of the European football championships in 1996. The results of the game ended zero-zero even entered extra time and eventually won by the teams of France on penalties. Around 9.8 million Dutch population watched the match. His study showed that mortality due to CHD and stroke increased in Dutch men during the day to do the match.

Other studies have shown the opposite of big psychological impact in delaying death. Research conducted Phillips, et al on the culture of China and the Jewish culture phenomenon indicates a dip / peak mortality in important events in someone's life. These findings indicate that a person can extend his life until some time after the important events in life such as celebrations, birthdays or wedding one. Often also found a phenomenon in the hospital a person who died in a coma for so long after everyone who was so important in her life had gathered at his side. Given also that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (President of USA) died on July 4 (the date of the declaration of American independence). Is not a thing that happens when we know the last words spoken before death Jefferson was asked whether it was the 4th day, as told by his personal physician.