Yogyakarta – The Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with the Master Program in Bioethics at UGM and the UNESCO Chair on Bioethics UGM, hosted the “Raboan Discussion Forum” on Wednesday (22/11). The forum raised the topic of Cultural and Ethical Challenges in Bereavement Care. Ch. Yeni Kustanti, S.Kep., Ns., M.Pall.C., Ph.D., from Stikes Bethesda Yakkum Yogyakarta, served as speaker. Meanwhile, Ns. Wahyu Dewi Sulistyarini, M.SN, from the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities, UGM, UNESCO Chair on Bioethics at UGM, and Wiyata Husada Samarinda Institute of Health and Sciences, taking the role of moderator.
The forum discusses a spectrum of issues surrounding bereavement care, emphasizing the significance of palliative care in enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families facing serious illnesses. Yeni Kustanti highlighted the complexities of grief, ranging from loss-oriented to restoration-oriented phases, and underscored the cultural nuances influencing mourning rituals and expressions of grief.
Grief is a deeply individualized complex process that involves oscillating between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented phases, leading to a prolonged grief disorder diagnosis in some cases. It’s necessary to tailor approaches grounded in principles of autonomy and cultural diversity to deal with grief. The cultural approach in Indonesia can provide exceptional support systems for families experiencing grief, emphasizing the importance of local wisdom for global recognition.
Moreover, discussions emphasized the imperative of psychological interventions and grief counseling to mitigate psychological distress among bereaved families. Participants advocated for the development of effective grief monitoring applications and the incorporation of cultural wisdom to enrich global scholarly discourse.
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