Health care directive can reduce family stress.(Brief Article)

Researchers from the Oregon Health Sciences University report that stress levels have been measured as extremely high for family members who must decide whether or not life support should be withdrawn from relatives too incapacitated to decide for themselves.

Reported levels of stress are twice as high as those due to other serious crises, such as construction disasters or losing a home to fire. Stress was least severe when patients' written advance directives, (documents such as a health care proxy, do not resuscitate order, living will) were available and most severe in the absence of written or verbal directives. Funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research …