REVISITING ELISABETH KUBLER-ROSS: PASTORAL AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DEATH AND DYING STAGE MODEL IN THE CARING PROCESS By

During the last centuries, different events and circumstances have intensified researchers' interest in studying the human experience of death and dying. A significant event in 1941, a fire in which 300 persons died at the Coconut Grove night club in Boston, persuaded Erich Lindeman to study the experience of grief among surviving family members. Later during the 1960's, as cancer became the leading cause of death among Americans, authors like Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004) became a leading figure in unveiling death from the prevailing taboos of the time. Most recently, AIDS as the new global illness has generated a fresh new interest in understanding the experience of dying. Two distinct areas of study have led research in this field. One is the biomedical perspective, which includes sciences such as thanatology and pathology. The other is the psychosocial perspective, represented primarily by the fields of psychology, sociology, theology and psychiatry. Together, these fields conduct research seeking to understand how humans cope and respond emotionally, socially and spiritually to the experience of dying. This article will explore some of the studies produced from the psychosocial perspective, only. My interest in the topic of death and dying will be limited to examining Kübler-Ross' stages of death model. I have chosen her work for one basic reason. Having arrived to Puerto Rico after years doing clinical work abroad, it was surprising to me that her theory continues to be a dominant theoretical framework used by the pastoral caregivers engaged in understanding the patient's dying experience. To a certain extent, Kübler-Ross' model or theory seems to be the rubric by which most arrive at their theological and pastoral care decisions. In my work experience, this issue did not come as a surprise. Already I was aware that, amidst scholarly critique to Kübler-Ross' work, the model had greatly influenced most disciplines and had prevailed. To find some answers to this dilemma, the next following discussion will focus on understanding the basic axioms of Kübler-Ross' theory and the pastoral and clinical implications in the caring process.