Death anxiety in patients with myocardial infarction or cancer

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to find out the level of death anxiety among 3 groups: patients with acute myocardial infarction, patients with cancer and healthy individuals in two training and research hospitals; also to evaluate its relationship with several sociodemographic and clinical variables.Materials and methodThis study was conducted with one hundred and eighty persons (108 male, 72 female) who have been referred to cardiology or oncology departments and the healthy individuals. Participants completed sociodemographic and clinical data form, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I, STAI-II), Thorson Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPDAS), Death Depression Scale (DDS).ResultsParticipants included in the present study were 40% female with an average age of 53.48 for whole group. The mean TPDAS score for patients with AMI was 51.60 ± 16.40, for patients with cancer 37.10 ± 10.23 and for healthy individuals 43.40 ± 13.35. In AMI group there were positive correlations between STAI-I and TPDAS, DDS scores and also between STAI-II and DDS. In cancer group positive correlations were between STAI-I, II and TPDAS, DDS. TPDAS and DDS were positively correlated in all three groups. Women and participants who were unemployed scored higher on DDS.ConclusionIn this study patients with AMI had higher death anxiety than patients with cancer or healthy individuals. Generally death anxiety was related with education, employment and socioeconomic status. Prospective studies carefully searching for different variables in different medical groups would reveal and help us to understand the importance of death anxiety and its impact on courses of physical and mental disorders.

Rational-emotive behavioral intervention helped patients with cancer and their caregivers to manage psychological distress and anxiety symptoms

“…The Onyechi et al[4] article has attracted a number of citations from peer reviewed journal articles focusing on the REBT theory[8,9] as well as those investigating death anxiety[10,11] and other mental health issues in cancer patients[12]. The implication of this article is that it encourages further studies on this research area and sheds light on the fact that the objective of end-of-life interventions for cancer patients that in part aims at alleviating psychological symptoms and promoting mental health of patients can be achieved through the use of psychological interventions such as the REHCT.…”

Depression, Anxiety and Coping Strategies in Cancer Patients: A Case Control Study

“…This might be explained with the type of anxiety which has been termed as death anxiety in the literature and accepted to be the main cause of anxiety in cancer patients as could be seen from the findings that anxiety prevalence increases in the terminal stage. 30 Most of the patients feel horrified of the thought of close and inevitable death, although some others have more soothing conceptions of death, ie. It's an elemental part of living.…”

Kalp Yetersizliği Hastalarında Ölüm Kaygısının Belirlenmesi

“…[25] Çalışmamızda cinsiyetler arasında ölüm kaygısı puanları açısından istatistiksel bir fark görülmedi ve literatürdeki birçok çalışma ile paralellik göstermektedir. [22][23][24] Ancak çok eski yıllarda yapılmış bazı çalış-maların sonuçlarına göre kadınların erkeklere göre ölüm kaygısı ölçümlerinde daha yüksek puan aldığı bildirilmiştir. [26,27] Ölüm kaygısındaki cinsiyet farklılığını tespit eden araştırmaların çoğu, Templer'in (1970) Ölüm Kaygısı Ölçeğini kullandığı belirtilmiştir.…”

“…(2011)'da yaptıkları çalışmalarda medeni durumun ölüm kaygısnı etkilemediğini bildirmişlerdir. [23,24] Bizim çalışmamızda çalışmayan KY hastalarının çalışanlara göre ölüm kaygısı puanı anlamlı olarak daha yüksek olduğu bulundu. Şahan ve ark.…”

“…(2018) da çalışmayan Mİ geçirmiş hasta grubunun çalışan hastalara göre ölüm kaygısı puanlarını anlamlı olarak yüksek bulmuşlardır. [23] Öztürk ve ark. (2011) da çalışmalarında hiç çalışmamış bireylerin çalışıp emekli olmuş bireylere göre ölüm kaygısı puanını daha yüksek bulmuştur.…”