Exploring good death in China: A qualitative study from the perspectives of family members

Mingming Cheng, Qin Luo, Chao Fang, Alastair Comery and John Troyer

Social Science & Medicine, 2025, vol. 367, issue C

Abstract: China's emerging palliative care services are heavily influenced by Western models of palliative medicine, which emphasize dignity, autonomy and individuality. How palliative care is designed and provided, however, within the distinctively non-Western context of Chinese society has yet to be fully explored. To examine palliative care as a socio-cultural construct, this qualitative study investigates what a good death means in China from the perspective of bereaved family members. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by an inductive thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (1) Negotiating Autonomy in Family Contexts; (2) Familial Obligations and Cultural Practices; (3) Security and Resource Stability; (4) Meaning and Legacy at the End of Life. We found that, for family members, a good death is primarily mediated by the objectives of family harmony and continuity, often overriding the dying person's individual wishes. This emphasis on the family can act as a double-edged sword, both supporting and complicating the experience of death in China. Based on our findings, we propose a social support system that balances individual and family interests, to inform more culturally informed end-of-life care within practical and policy paradigms.

Keywords: Good death; Quality of death; Family; Culture; Dying; Palliative care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117727

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