ETHICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES IN THE PROLONGATION OF LIFE IN TERMINAL PATIENTS: REFLECTIONS ON PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE

Abstract

The prolongation of life in pediatric terminal patients represents one of the most complex dilemmas in contemporary healthcare, involving tensions between biomedical advances, ethical principles, and subjective experiences. This study aims to analyze the ethical and psychosocial challenges associated with life-prolonging interventions in children without curative therapeutic possibilities, in light of pediatric palliative care. Grounded in González Rey’s Qualitative Epistemology and Theory of Subjectivity, this research adopts a mixed qualitative approach based on document analysis, theoretical review, and data derived from a doctoral study conducted between 2021 and 2024 with 186 participants from different countries. The findings indicate that therapeutic obstinacy is often rooted in reductionist biomedical conceptions, neglecting the subjective processes of the child, family, and healthcare team. The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary practices that integrate qualified listening, shared decision-making, and public policies aligned with human dignity principles. It is concluded that Psychology plays a central role as an ethical mediator, contributing to meaning-making processes and the humanization of care in pediatric end-of-life contexts.