Higher Levels Of Death Anxiety Research Articles

Death Anxiety and Depression among Cancer Patients: Role of Perceived Social Support

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between death anxiety and depression in individuals coping with cancer, focusing specifically on the role of perceived social support as a protective factor. The sample consisted of 200 cancer patients (95 males, 105 females) from hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, spanning different age groups. Data were categorized by cancer stage and treatment types. Using a cross-sectional design and correlational approach, the study found excellent reliabilities for Perceived Social Support (? = .90) and good reliabilities for Depression and Death Anxiety (? = .83 and .85, respectively). Gender-based differences were not significant for depression (t = -.51, p > .05) or perceived social support (t = -.23, p > .05). Perceived social support was highest initially and declined as cancer progressed. Significant variance in social support was observed across cancer stages (p < .05), with post hoc tests showing that 1st stage patients had significantly higher support than 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stage patients (MD = 7.27, p = 0.09). The study also showed gender differences in death anxiety, suggesting that women exhibited higher levels of death anxiety compared to men. Moreover, perceived social support was high at the 1st stage and significantly declined as the level progressed (3rd stage). The findings can be helpful for health professionals, psychologists and caregivers.

Death Anxiety in Patients with a History of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Spiritual Well-Being and Coping Strategies.

Patients who have previously undergone coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) were prone to death anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears that spiritual well-being and appropriate coping strategies may mitigate the harmful effects of death anxiety. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of death anxiety in patients with CABG during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being, coping strategies and death anxiety.This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 patients with CABG history in Tehran from June 2021 to February 2022. The face-to-face questionnaire, containing questions on demographics, Templer's death anxiety scale, the spiritual well-being questionnaire, and the ways of coping questionnaire was administered to collect data. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive-analytical statistics, correlation tests, and logistic regression models.Participants' mean age was 55.59 ± 12.78 years. The mean death anxiety score was 10.00 ± 2.16, with 87% of participants reporting high levels and 13% reporting low levels of death anxiety. Based on the results, there was a significant negative correlation between death anxiety and coping strategies, as well as subscales of distancing, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving. Logistic regression showed that with the increase in the score of spiritual well-being, the odds of having high levels of death anxiety decreased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, increasing the total score of coping strategies, and the score of self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving, significantly reduced the odds of high levels of death anxiety (p < 0.05).The study showed that patients with a CABG history experienced high death anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the findings, spiritual well-being and coping strategies, especially self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, and planful problem-solving,may reduce the odds of severe death anxiety. These should be considered as effective targets for psychological intervention in these patients.

Investigation of Death Anxiety in Turkish Intensive Care Nurses After the Pandemic

Objective: This study was conducted to determine factors affecting intensive care nurses’ death anxiety levels in the post-pandemic period. &#x0D; Material and Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with intensive care nurses between May and June 2022 (n=522). Data were obtained with the Introductory Information Form and the Templer Death Anxiety Scale. &#x0D; Results: It was determined that the death anxiety levels of the nurses were high. The death anxiety scale mean scores of the participants were determined as 11.30±0.99 (min:8, max:15). The death anxiety level of the nurses who have a graduate degree and are between the ages of 31-40 was found to be higher than that of their other colleagues. No statistically significant difference was found between nurses' gender, marital status, chronic illness, years of working in the profession, and the death anxiety scale total score (p&gt;0.05). &#x0D; Conclusions: The results of the research can be a reference understanding the death anxiety of intensive care nurses. Involving nurses in a comprehensive death education program that gives them the opportunity to express their feelings can help reduce their anxiety.

Exploring the variations in death anxiety among oncology nurses in China: a latent class analysis

BackgroundVarious factors have been found to be associated with high levels of death anxiety experienced by oncology nurses. The aim of this study was to use a person-oriented approach to examine the death anxiety patterns of Chinese oncology nurses and to analyze the differences in anxiety characteristics and their associated influencing factors.MethodsA cross-sectional survey regarding palliative care among registered oncology nurses was conducted in Jiangsu Province, China.Latent class analyses was applied to identify their patterns of death anxiety. The score of PCQN-C (The Chinese version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing) and FATCOD-B-C (The Chinese version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying scale), the demographic and working characteristics were further analyzed through covariance analysis (ANCOVA) and multivariate (or logistic) regression across the subgroups.ResultsA two-potential-category model was selected based on the fit index. The results showed that 79% of oncology nurses belonged to the high pressure and pain group and 21% belonged to the low death anxiety group. The high pressure and pain group had significantly higher scores in the dimensions of emotion, stress and pain, time awareness, and cognition compared to the low death anxiety group. Factors influencing the high pressure and pain group included shorter working years, non-national or provincial oncology nursing specialists, non-national palliative care specialists, never discussing the topic of death with patients or family members, no palliative care related training, and PCQN and FATCOD scores.ConclusionsOur study suggests that oncology nurses’ death anxiety can be divided into two categories: low death anxiety and high stress pain, and certain factors, such as being female, having a short work experience, and lacking palliative care-related training, increase the likelihood of death anxiety.

Effect of Telenursing Training on Death Anxiety in Nurses with a History of COVID-19

Introduction: In light of the global spread of COVID-19 and its profound impact on public health and casualties, nurses have been thrust onto the front lines in the battle against this disease, resulting in heightened psychological distress and anxiety. Addressing these issues promptly and effectively is crucial during these challenging times. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of telenursing training in reducing death anxiety among nurses with a history of COVID-19.Material and Methods: This quasi-experimental study involved two groups of 20 nurses with a history of COVID-19 and higher levels of death anxiety. Data were collected using Templer's death anxiety questionnaire and a demographic information questionnaire. In the test group, the intervention was conducted through WhatsApp groups over five sessions. Training methods to reduce death anxiety were presented through explanatory text, PowerPoint presentations, and audio files, with five-day intervals between sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention. Twenty days after the sessions, both groups completed the death anxiety questionnaire again. Data were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square tests.Results: The findings indicated a significant difference in the average score of death anxiety between the test and control group after telenursing training (p&lt;0.05).Conclusion: Telenursing training effectively reduces death anxiety among nurses with a history of COVID-19. Telenursing proves to be a cost-effective and organized intervention for managing symptoms, early diagnosis of complications, ensuring post-care quality, exchanging information, and providing health education.

Study Protocol of Death Anxiety, Perceived Stress, Sleep Quality, Cardiac Illness Denial and Subjective Well-being among Stable Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background:&#x0D; It has been seen that negative affective states (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger), social isolation, and social insecurity are specific psychosocial determinants that adversely influence ischemic heart diseases, and these patients experience higher levels of death anxiety. Hence, studying death anxiety, perceived stress, sleep quality, and illness acceptance among myocardial infarction (MI) patients will give insight into their psychosocial management.&#x0D; Method:&#x0D; The study will be conducted on patients (18-60 years) with a diagnosis of Acute MI hospitalized in the Cardiology Unit of King Georges' Medical University and clinically stable at the time of assessment. The participants will be assessed via semi-structured proforma for sociodemographic and clinical details, the scale of Death Anxiety (SDA), perceived Stress scale, single Item Sleep quality Index, Cardiac Denial of Impact Scale and WHO wellbeing index- 5.&#x0D; Result:&#x0D; This study will measure death anxiety, perceived stress, sleep quality, Cardiac Denial of Impact Scale and subjective wellbeing among stable patients with acute Myocardial Infarction (MI), to study their association with acute Myocardial Infarction (MI), and their change with time during follow up (10-12 weeks after the initial event).&#x0D; Conclusion:&#x0D; It is expected that death anxiety and perceived stress will be high among patients with acute myocardial infarction, affecting their sleep quality and subjective wellbeing.

Measuring and understanding death anxiety in caregivers of patients with primary brain tumor.

Caregivers of patients with primary brain tumor (PBT) describe feeling preoccupied with the inevitability of their loved one's death. However, there are currently no validated instruments to assess death anxiety in caregivers. This study sought to examine (1) the psychometric properties of the Death and Dying Distress Scale (DADDS), adapted for caregivers (DADDS-CG), and (2) the prevalence and correlates of death anxiety in caregivers of patients with PBT. Caregivers (N = 67) of patients with PBT completed the DADDS-CG, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR-7), and God Locus of Health Control (GLHC). Caregivers' sociodemographic information and patients' medical characteristics were also collected. Preliminary examination of the psychometric properties of the DADDS-CG was conducted using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and correlations. The prevalence and risk factors of death anxiety were assessed using frequencies, pair-wise comparisons, and correlations. Factor analysis of the DADDS-CG revealed a two-factor structure consistent with the original DADDS. The DADDS-CG demonstrated excellent internal consistency, convergent validity with the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and FCR-7, and discriminant validity with the GLHC. Over two-thirds of caregivers reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of death anxiety. Death anxiety was highest in women and caregivers of patients with high-grade PBT. The DADDS-CG demonstrates sound psychometric properties in caregivers of patients with PBT, who report high levels of death anxiety. Further research is needed to support the measure's value in clinical care and research - both in this population and other caregivers - in order to address this unmet, psychosocial need.

Death anxiety, moral courage, and resilience in nursing students who care for COVID-19 patients: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundBeing on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, nurses and nursing students have been under considerable psychological stress and pressure. The present study is done to explore death anxiety, moral courage, and resilience in nursing students caring for COVID-19 patients in the south of Iran.MethodsThe present study is cross-sectional research conducted between September and December 2021. A total of 420 senior nursing students (nursing interns) who were undergoing their clinical training courses were invited to participate in the study by convenience sampling method from three hospitals affiliated with the University of Medical Sciences of Southern Iran. Data were collected using a demographics survey, Nurses’ Moral Courage Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale. ResultsThe nursing students participating in this study had a death anxiety mean score of 12.78 ± 1.17. The results showed that there was a significant and indirect correlation between death anxiety on the one hand and moral courage (r = -0.91, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = -0.89, p < 0.001) on the other in nursing students caring for patients with COVID-19. Also, it was found that there was a significant and direct correlation between the students’ resilience and moral courage scores (r = 0.91, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe nursing students caring for COVID-19 patients had experienced high levels of death anxiety in the past few months. Considering the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis in Iran and other countries, there is an urgent need for measures to preserve and improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of nursing students, enhance their moral courage and resilience and reduce their death anxiety.

Nurses' Death Anxiety and Ageism towards Older Adults Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Symbolic Immortality.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all aspects of individuals’ lives and behaviors, including the behaviors of nurses. Specifically, the pandemic has impacted the way that nurses treat older adults and has led to the spread of ageism among nurses. This study was conducted using self-report tools on 163 nurses to examine the problem of ageism amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that critical care nurses have higher levels of death anxiety and ageism in comparison to medical/surgical nurses. After controlling for the work department, low levels of symbolic immortality were associated with high levels of ageism and death anxiety among nurses. These results might provide an insight into the development of a psychological intervention to reduce nurses’ death anxiety and ageism toward older adults.

Quality of Life, Perceived Social Support and Death Anxiety Among People Having Cardiovascular Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: To assess the quality of life, perceived social support, and death anxiety among people having cardiovascular disorders Study type: A Cross-sectional study Place and Duration: This study was conducted at Civil Hospital, BMCH Quetta Pakistan from June 2020 to June 2021 Methodology: This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between quality of life, hope, and death anxiety among people having cardiovascular disorders. We gathered data by using a convenience sampling technique for 4 months. We used the questionnaire method for our survey. Our questionnaire was based on five sections including basic demographic, the 17-item McGill QoL (MQoL) Questionnaire, Herth hope to score, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPDAS), and Death depression scale (DDS). Results: Out of 500 participants half of them were female (52.4%), most of the participants were married with no formal education and belonged to poor or middle-class families. Participants with intermediate education levels who were financially dependent on the government had a better quality of life than others. We observed that patients with myocardial infarction (MI) had higher levels of anxiety. Furthermore, we observed that patients with a belief in life after death had higher death anxiety than those who don't believe. Conclusion: Our results concluded a positive association among quality of life and hope. We examined that social support plays a vital role in managing CVD disorders. However, patients with myocardial infarction had high levels of death anxiety than others. Keywords: Cardiovascular disorders, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, death anxiety, quality of life, social support.

Determination of the Relationship Between Self-Care Agency and Death Anxiety Among Elderly Individuals.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between self-care agency and death anxiety among elderly individuals. The study sample consisted of 163 elderly individuals who applied to the internal medicine and chest diseases outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Death anxiety (DAS) and Self-care agency (SCAS) scales were used for data collection. The mean DAS score of the participants was found 6.76 ± 3.25 and low. The mean SCAS scores was 94.35 ± 16.37 and moderate. A positive very weak correlation was found between self-care agency and death anxiety (p = 0.044, r = 0.158). Elderly individuals without regular income had higher levels of death anxiety compared to those with regular income (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found in death anxiety levels with respect to the sex and marital status (p < 0.05). The low-level death anxiety on elderly individuals may have a positive effect on maintaining their self-care agency. Nurses should engage in training activities and interventions to increase the levels of self-care agency and determine the death anxiety among elderly individuals.

Depression and quality of life in older adults with pneumoconiosis: The mediating role of death anxiety

This study identified factors related to the quality of life of older adults with coal workers’ pneumoconiosis and determined the mediating effect of death anxiety on the relationship between depression and quality of life. The participants were 161 older adults who were admitted to five pneumoconiosis hospitals in South Korea. The results showed that higher levels of depression indicated higher levels of death anxiety, and higher levels of depression and death anxiety indicated poorer quality of life. While controlling for general characteristics, death anxiety (β = 0.47, P < .001) had a complete mediating effect on the relationship between depression (β = 0.13, P = .075) and quality of life (R2 = 0.70, Adjusted R2 = 0.68, P < .001). To improve the quality of life of older adults with pneumoconiosis, interventions that reduce death anxiety along with depression should be investigated.

Death anxiety among advanced cancer patients: a cross-sectional survey.

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate death anxiety in advanced cancer patients and identify associated factors in the context of Chinese culture.MethodsParticipants (N = 270) with advanced cancer in a tertiary cancer hospital completed anonymous questionnaire surveys. Measures included the Chinese version of a Likert-type Templer-Death Anxiety Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Student’s t test, Pearson correlation test, and linear regression.ResultsRespondents returned 252 (93.33%) of the 270 questionnaires. The total CL-TDAS score was 39.56 ± 10.20. The top three items were “I fear dying a painful death” (3.59 ± 1.41), “I often think about how shortly life really is” (3.11 ± 1.33), and “1 am not particularly afraid of getting cancer” (3.09 ± 1.35). Associated factors of death anxiety (R2 = .333, F = 15.756, p < .001) were the medical coping mode (resignation, confronce), self-esteem, the participants’ adult children, the patient-primary caregivers’ relationship, resilience, and the level of activity of daily living.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate high levels of death anxiety in advanced cancer patients. Generally, patients with adult children, high self-esteem and resilience had low death anxiety. Conversely, patients with low levels of activity of daily living and high coping mode (resignation, confrontation) reported high death anxiety. We determined that associated factors contributed to reduce death anxiety. Social interventions are recommended to improve the end-of-life transition for patients and caregivers.

The Impact of Death Anxiety, Meaning and Coping on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Psychiatric Co-Morbidity Among Iraqi Civilians Exposed to a Car Bomb Attack A Latent Class Analysis.

Much has been documented that the experience of a bombing is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity. Whether the co-existing relationship between death anxiety, meaning in life and coping styles would influence the aforementioned association is unknown. The present study aimed to identify latent classes of victims with different levels of death anxiety, meaning in life and coping styles, and to examine whether the severity of PTSD and co-morbid psychiatric symptoms differed between classes. One hundred and eighty-five victims who had experienced the first car bombing completed a demographic page, the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnosis Scale, General Health Questionnaire-28, Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire and Coping Responses Inventory. The results showed that 82% and 18% of the victims met the criteria for PTSD and no-PTSD, respectively. Four classes of victims were identified: Class 1 victims were approach copers with low levels of death anxiety and meaning. Class 2 victims were minimal copers with high levels of death anxiety and meaning. Class 3 victims were approach copers with a high level of death anxiety and meaning. Class 4 victims were avoidance copers with high levels of death anxiety. Individuals in Class 1 reported significantly lower levels of PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity than the other three classes. Class 3 victims also reported significantly lower levels of psychiatric co-morbidity than Class 2 victims. To conclude, victims exposed to a car bombing were likely to exhibit posttraumatic stress symptoms in addition to other psychological symptoms. The severity of these symptoms tended to be lower among those who had little fear of death, did not search for meaning in life and approached their distress proactively.

How death anxiety influences coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: investigating the role of spirituality, national identity, lockdown and trust

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has created a highly stressful environment in which reminders of death are constant. This context of permanent mortality salience is likely to arouse death anxiety in individuals around the world that they must manage. This study investigates the effects of death anxiety on the adoption of different coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in five different countries (N = 721, mean age = 32.83). The results show that higher levels of death anxiety mainly lead to the adoption of avoidance coping strategies and that spirituality and national identity moderate this effect, whereas lockdown does not. Moreover, trust in institutions is a mediator in the relationship between death anxiety and avoidance strategies.

Attitudes promoting coping with death anxiety among parents of children with disabilities

We investigated death anxiety among parents of children with disabilities and its associations with coping attitudes and psycho-demographic factors. Surveys were administered to 382 parents of children who possess a severe disability and data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that parents experienced high levels of death anxiety; the level of death anxiety changed according to some psycho-demographic factors, such as external support, type of disability, and death-related beliefs; and death anxiety was significantly explained by demographic variables, death-related thoughts, and experiences, and adaptive and maladaptive coping attitudes.

Death anxiety and its predictors among the companions of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Background and aims: Death anxiety (DA) is associated with stress and impaired immunity and thereby, puts individuals at risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to assess DA and its predictors among the companions of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2020 on 200 companions of patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Imam Khomeini, BouAli, and Razi hospitals in Sari and Qaemshahr, Iran. Sampling was performed conveniently. Data were collected using a demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire for patients, a demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire for companions, and Templer DA Scale. The SPSS software (v. 21.0) was used for data analysis via the independent sample t test, chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The mean score of DA was 47.21±10.62 (in the possible range of 15–75). Participants’ DA had significant relationship with their gender, their patients’ anorexia and arterial oxygen saturation, and COVID-19 among other family members (P&lt;0.05). Participants’ gender, patients’ anorexia and arterial oxygen saturation, and COVID-19 among other family members significantly explained 0.066% of the total variance of DA (P=0.002). The strongest predictors of DA were arterial oxygen saturation (β=0.17; P=0.01) and gender (β=0.15; P=0.0). Conclusion: The companions of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience high levels of DA and hence, interventions are needed to reduce their DA.

Association of Ageism With Death Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Symbolic Immortality Among Nurses.

According toterror management theory (TMT), older adults may often be a reminder of death for younger adults. Therefore, dealing with older adults may be associated with increased levels of death anxiety and decreased levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality, leading younger adults to develop ageist attitudes and behaviors in defense. However, to date, these associations have not been empirically examined, especially among nurses. Self-report questionnaires were used on a sample of 163 nurses to explore the issue of ageism among nurses from the TMT perspective. The results indicated that, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, high levels of death anxiety and low levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality were associated with increased levels of ageism among nurses. Thus, the current study uses TMT to explain ageism among nurses, and the study findings may contribute to the development of psychological interventions aimed at reducing nurses' ageism.

Death anxiety and burnout in intensive care unit specialists facing the COVID-19 outbreak: The mediating role of obsession with COVID-19 and coronaphobia

The aim of the study was to examine the role of the obsession with COVID-19 thoughts and coronaphobia in the relationship of death anxiety with burnout among staff working at infectious diseases hospitals in the front-line of the fight against COVID-19. A cross-sectional online survey (N = 110) was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that obsession with COVID-19 and coronaphobia mediated the relationship of death anxiety with burnout. Most of the participants reported higher levels of death anxiety compared with the general population and nurses reported higher levels of death anxiety than physicians.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Death Anxiety Among Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Hemodialysis improves renal function and increases lifetime. However, it causes a fundamental change in the whole life of patients. Many of these patients express their fears of an unacceptable life. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life and death anxiety among patients on hemodialysis and determine their personality and demographic predictors. Methods: A total of 154 participants were recruited from the hemodialysis units of hospitals in Zahedan, the southeast of Iran. The participants completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Scale, Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and Templar's Death Anxiety Scale. Results: In this study, 60.4% of the patients had high levels of death anxiety. About 70% of the patients had low or moderate levels of quality of life. Conclusions: Personality is an essential factor in predicting health-related quality of life and death anxiety. This result provides a better understanding of the determinants of death anxiety and HQOL.