Which concept describes the five-stage process of coming to terms with dying: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance?

Which concept describes the five-stage process of coming to terms with dying: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance?

• A. Thanatology
• B. Terror management theory (TMT)
• C. Good death
• D. Stages of Dying

Answer: (D)

Stages of dying describes how some individuals move through a series of emotional responses as they come to terms with their own mortality. This framework, introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, outlines five stages—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance—that people may experience as they face terminal illness or the end of life. It’s a helpful way to understand and discuss what patients and families might feel, recognize that these feelings are normal, and guide supportive care. Importantly, the sequence isn’t universal or strictly linear; people may skip stages, revisit them, or experience them in a different order. Other terms in the choices refer to broader ideas about death and dying—thanatology is the field that studies death and dying, terror management theory looks at how people cope with mortality threats, and a good death describes an ideal of dying with dignity and minimal suffering—while the stages framework specifically names the progression through these particular emotional states.

Stages of dying describes how some individuals move through a series of emotional responses as they come to terms with their own mortality. This framework, introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, outlines five stages—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance—that people may experience as they face terminal illness or the end of life. It’s a helpful way to understand and discuss what patients and families might feel, recognize that these feelings are normal, and guide supportive care. Importantly, the sequence isn’t universal or strictly linear; people may skip stages, revisit them, or experience them in a different order. Other terms in the choices refer to broader ideas about death and dying—thanatology is the field that studies death and dying, terror management theory looks at how people cope with mortality threats, and a good death describes an ideal of dying with dignity and minimal suffering—while the stages framework specifically names the progression through these particular emotional states.