Psychological and Spiritual Factors Associated with Death Anxiety of Elderly People Living at Home

심리적 영적 요인이 재가노인의 죽음불안에 미치는 영향

  • Kim, Kyung-Hee (Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Kwon, Hye-Jin (Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Choi, Mi-Hye (Department of Nursing, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Park, Yoon-Ja (Department of Social Welfare, Jangan University) ;
  • Kim, Su-Kang (The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Chung-Ang University)
  • Published : 2010.03.30

Abstract

Purpose: The study was done to investigate psychological spiritual factors related to death anxiety of elderly living at home. Methods: A descriptive correlation study was conducted. The participants were 494 living at home elderly people conveniently selected in Seoul and Kyunggi province. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. Results: The death anxiety positively correlated with depression and negatively with self-integrity, readiness of death, belief in life after death, and spiritual well-being. The factors influencing death anxiety were self-integrity, readiness of death, depression, and belief in life after death. Those four variables explained 21.6% of death anxiety. Conclusion: It is expected to serve as a useful tool for nurses who serve elderly people in the clinical field and local community to help get a better understanding of death, and it is expected to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of strategies geared toward alleviating death anxiety.

Keywords

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