Table 2.
Assessment of Social Death Using the Social Science Model of Social Death.
| Component | Word List (From Narratives) | Assessment Queries |
|---|---|---|
| Social isolation | Walking in street (F1) Meeting people (F1) Party (F1) Returned (F4) Enhanced social capacity (F4) Social life easier (F5) Crowd (F5) Social activities (F5) Social circle (H1) More attractive socially (H1) Social relationships (H2) Other people (H3) Family (H4) | Does patient live alone? Does patient have few social network ties? Does patient have infrequent social contact? Is the patient engaging in social withdrawal? |
| Loneliness | Anonymous (F5) Crowd (F5) Other people (H3) | Does patient experience loneliness? How often? How does he/she attempt to resolve it? |
| Ostracism | Everybody else (F2) Fully reintegrated (F4) Into the community (F4) Provoking aggressive reactions (F5) Perceived by other people (H1) Social approval (H3) Openness (H3) | Does patient feel ignored, excluded or alienated by others? Cautious about interaction with others? Does the patient self-ostracize? |
| Personhood | Esthetic and functional results (F1) Reduced concern about appearance (F5) Monster (F5) Anonymous (F5) More attractive physically (H1) Equal member of society (H1) Body image (H2) Body’s looks (H3) Reconstructed body (H3) More attractive (H3) Manlier (H3) Results (L1) | Does patient feel less of a person/less human due to his/her disfigurement? |
| Role and identity | Full-time job (F5) Shopping (F5) Employed (F5) Accounting agent (F5) Needed (H1) Family (H1) Workplace (H1) Regain his self-confidence (H1)(H2)(H3) Self-esteem (H3)(H4) Significant restoration of his Social position (H1) Full-time employment (H1) Useful to society (H1) Husband (H1)(H3) Father (H1)(H3) Man (H2)(H3) Push a stroller (H3) Drive a car (H3) Make a hole (H3) Repair (H3) Looking after his children (H4) Driving (H4) Organizing (H4) Social status improved (H4) Professional role (H4) Professional life (H4) | Does the patient feel empty or worthless? Does the patient feel that he/she has lost their value to others (family, community, and job)? Has his/her sense of purpose changed? |
| Harm | Very satisfied (F1) New life (F3) Peace (F5) Quality of life (F5)(L1) Enormous satisfaction (H3) Great delight (H4) Emotions (H4) Joy (H4) Inner peace (H4) Restored my life (L2) Positive changes (H4) Beneficial influence (H4) Very pleased (L1) Improved immeasurably (L1) | Does the patient have suicidal thoughts or has there been a suicide attempt? Is he/she depressed? Is he/she abusing food, drugs, alcohol, or other substances? |
| Disfigurement | Face (F2) Limb (H1)(H2) Hand (H3) Since (F2) Gained (F3) Easier (F5) Dear improvement (F5) Better (H1) Radical change (H1) Successfully (H1) Fully incorporated (H2) Regaining (H2) Again (H2) Fulfils better (H3) Higher (H3) | How much does the patient’s disfigurement play a rolea in the above 6 components? |
aThe disfigurement’s functional/physical as well as psychological/existential impact.