The Role of Forgiveness for Aging and Advanced Illness: An Integrative Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Nursing

Background:

• Death anxiety is prevalent in aging populations and those with advanced illness.
• Holistic nursing care aims to address patients' comprehensive well-being.
• Forgiveness is explored as a potential coping strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an integrative systematic review on the role of forgiveness in coping with death anxiety.
• To provide evidence-based information for holistic nurses.
• To support the promotion of forgiveness in patients experiencing aging and advanced illness.

Main Methods:

• Integrative systematic review of peer-reviewed research articles.
• Inclusion of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies.
• Search of five major electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Scopus).
• Focus on adults (≥18) with advanced illness or older age (≥65).

Main Results:

• Forty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria.
• Identified common attributes of forgiveness and its benefits on physical and mental health.
• Highlighted relevant forgiveness interventions for aging and advanced illness.
• Noted a lack of standardized assessment tools for forgiveness.

Conclusions:

• Forgiveness is an essential component of holistic healthcare for aging and advanced illness.
• This review offers guidance for holistic nurses to integrate forgiveness promotion into practice.
• Evidence supports forgiveness interventions to manage death anxiety in vulnerable patient populations.