Who are more ‘death literate’: bus drivers or students?

Who are more ‘death literate’: bus drivers or students?

Results from a recent survey found that bus drivers have higher “death literacy” than university students.

These findings came from a recent project by the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care exploring the ‘death literacy’ of people in Scotland.

‘Death literacy’ is about whether someone can access and provide support around serious illness, dying, death and grief. For example, how difficult would you find it to talk to a close friend about grieving? Could you assist a dying person to eat? Do you know how to access palliative care?

These are among the questions asked in the Death Literacy Index, a scale designed by Australian researchers and adapted for use in the UK.

Rebecca Patterson, Director of Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief said:

“People usually want to do the right thing when someone they know is affected by ill health, death or grief. But sometimes other things get in the way – lack of knowledge, time, experience or confidence can mean people don’t offer help.

“We want to know more about this – clearly everyone is different – so are some communities more ‘death literate’ than others?”

With this in mind, the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care sought the help of 20 Scottish University students, and 40 bus drivers. The participants completed the DLI questionnaires and the results were analysed.

Results suggested that:

• People who have experienced grief or other significant life events often feel more prepared to cope with, and help others through, similar events in the future.
• Some people feel very able to have conversations with others about death and bereavement, while others feel unable to talk about these issues – there’s no ‘typical’ level of comfort in talking about death.
• While most people know what a ‘will’ is, there’s a general lack of awareness of other ways that people can plan ahead and get support with death, dying and bereavement.
• The group of bus drivers had a higher death literacy score than the group of students. This is likely to be due, at least in part, to the higher average age of the bus driver group, indicating that death literacy increases with age.

Mark Hazelwood, Chief Executive of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care said:

“The survey sizes were too small for us to make sweeping statements or draw firm conclusions about death literacy more broadly, but the findings have helped us to learn more about death literacy in Scotland.

“Someone’s death literacy has much more to do with their personal experience than how much formal education they’ve had. Being part of a dying person’s support network probably increases a person’s death literacy more than anything else – through providing care people learn how to provide care; through using the healthcare system people learn how to use the healthcare system.

“The questionnaire results are in line with other surveys which also showed that most people don’t know about the plans they can make for their future ill health. There are certain practical steps that everyone should take when thinking about planning for the future.

“Everyone, no matter their age or health, should consider getting a power of attorney. If you think your health might get worse, speak to your doctor or nurse about an anticipatory care plan. If there are some treatments you wouldn’t want, consider making an Advance Directive. And above all, speak to the people closest to you about your hopes and fears, so that they can help you get the care you’d choose when the time comes.”

More information about planning ahead for serious illness and death is available on the Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief website: https://www.goodlifedeathgrief.org.uk/plan/

Bus driver photo by Super Straho on Unsplash