Death Education and the Management of Fear of Death Via Photo-Voice: An Experience Among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The article presents the results of a research intervention aimed at exploring the differences among some factors (death anxiety, ontological representation of death as annihilation, alexithymia, spirituality, resilience, happiness) in two different groups of university students: one that attended a course of Death Education (DeEd; 83 students: DeEd-gr) and another one that did not participate in it (149: NoDeEd-gr). The DeEd course utilized the photo-voice as an elective strategy aimed at facilitating the performative experience. It was hypothesized that this method could help DeEd-gr in sharing emotions and spiritual experiences while managing the increase of death anxiety, inevitably caused by the deathrelated issues introduced during the lessons. The results confirmed that, despite the higher death anxiety, the DeEd-gr had a greater level of happiness and lower alexithymia compared with NoDeEd-gr, suggesting that the use of photo-voice can be useful in the course because it facilitates the management of communication and relationships. A further analysis was realized to explain the relationships between the different dimensions considered. Results evidenced that spirituality was inversely correlated with the representation of death as annihilation and with alexithymia, which was positively related to personal happiness. However, in DeEd-gr, spirituality impacted less on happiness, while the representation of death as annihilation impacted significantly more on resilience among participants of NoDeEd-gr. The discussion analyzes some characteristics that differentiated women and men, compared with men, and considers how DeEd courses should recognize the role of the ontological representations of death with their relationships with spirituality.

Beyond the Wall: Death Education at Middle School as Suicide Prevention

“…Death Education (DeEd) encompasses individuals' needs to learn about death during their lifetimes, offering a conceptual basis to appreciate that a lifespan is limited and an opportunity to acquire a mature awareness of mortality and to understand that life must be preserved and protected [20]. Many studies confirm that consciousness of one's own limits implies a greater valorisation of life and a better existential formation [21][22][23]. Indeed, many experiences show how students need to be able to express themselves freely and creatively about the meaning of life and death [24].…”

A Challenge for Palliative Psychology: Freedom of Choice at the End of Life among the Attitudes of Physicians and Nurses

“…In this regard, in the last decades, growing attention has been given to this issue, particularly in the field of thanatology. Indeed, training concerning death, dying, and bereavement has been shaped, and the positive results have been well documented [ 22 , 23 , 24 ]. For example, in Italy, a recent study on the theme of AHDs involved both social work and psychology students and highlighted how participants benefitted from such a course and how their attitudes towards AHDs became more open and flexible [ 25 ].…”

The Hospice as a Learning Environment: A Follow-Up Study with a Palliative Care Team

“…The theme of death in Western society has been removed from everyday life and replaced with specialised medical language. This may be related to people’s innate tendency to avoid anything that reminds them of their finitude [ 1 ]. As asserted by terror management theory (TMT), awareness of death is inevitable, and such awareness may occur at any moment for uncontrollable reasons and generate a feeling of latent and constant terror.…”

“…It can be implemented in many ways including lectures on death and dying and more informal activities such as focus groups, photovoice, psychodrama, bibliodrama, etc. [ 1 , 20 , 28 , 36 , 37 , 38 ].…”