Death Anxiety

Abstract

Death anxiety occurs in response to the fear and discomfort that accompany thoughts about one's own death or the deaths of others. Given the universality of death, death anxiety is a common emotional reaction that occurs across the lifespan. Theorists have viewed death anxiety from several perspectives, from a failure of the denial defense mechanism (e.g., the inability to reject the inevitability of death) to issues related to self‐esteem, regret, and the successful resolution of life stages. For some individuals, death anxiety can be problematic and can impact emotional, physical, and social well‐being. Conceptual views, research, measurement instruments, and selected interventions related to death anxiety are reviewed in this entry.