Death Anxiety

Abstract

Abstract One of the few certainties in life is that once you are born, you are bound to die. This certainty does not make death a welcome thought, however. Thus, the most common response to the thought of one's death, or the death of other loved ones, is fear. Some researchers on this topic have suggested that the fear of death is a major motivator of much behavior, and can influence such behavior in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, this viewpoint suggests that people who are afraid of dying tend to do whatever it takes to ensure that they stay alive. Staying alive contributes to the continuity and socialization of the species because people so driven are more likely to want to have children and to raise them according to their society's acceptable standards. However, the same death anxiety can become a destructive force and could even result in both physical and mental problems. High levels of death anxiety in older adults are associated with lower ego integrity and more physical and psychological problems relative to individuals with low death anxiety. Death anxiety is a multifaceted construct that is difficult to define but has been conceptualized to include: fear of death of oneself; fear of death of others; fear of dying of self; and fear of the dying of others.