TABLE 2.
Exemplar items used in the subscales of the living will survey
| Threat 7 (items) |
| “It is stressful for others to decide whether or not to initiate life sustaining treatments on a patient.” |
| “As an adult, I am at risk for having my wishes about life sustaining treatments ignored during a medical crisis.” |
|
Adaptive Coping (6 items) Response Efficacy |
| “Having a living will is the best, most effective method for preventing my family from being emotionally burdened by having to decide my wishes about life sustaining treatments.” |
| “If I have a living will, then my chances of having an influence over my end-of-life medical care are extremely high.” |
| Self-Efficacy |
| “Even if I had a living will, I don't know if I would fill it out correctly.” |
| “I am capable of executing a living will that clearly defines my wishes about life-sustaining medical care.” |
|
Maladaptive Coping (16 items) Avoidance |
| “I sometimes wish I could avoid situations that confront me with the facts about living wills and dying.” |
| Wishful Thinking |
| “I like to pretend that I will never have to face death.” |
| “I believe that my family and physician will just know what I will want at the time if I am ever in a vegetative state.” |
| Fatalism |
| “If you are destined to be kept alive on machines, you will be; there is really little you can do about it.” |
| Hopelessness |
| “Life is so unpredictable that it sometimes seems a hopeless task to prepare for end of life issues.” |
| Intention - 4 items |
| “At present I am not planning on completing a living will.” |
| “Not only do I plan on completing a living will, I will give copies of the living will to my family and friends.” |
| Rational Problem Solving / Information Seeking - 4 items |
| “I will feel better about the possibility of facing a medical crisis if I obtain a living will.” |
| “The essay made me want a living will because living wills solve many problems that occur in a medical crisis.” |
| Credibility - 4 items |
| “I did not really believe what I read in the essay.” |
| “The information on living wills was presented in a clear and simple way.” |