Death distress among two samples of lower and higher stress in health care professionals

The Reliability and Validity Study of Turkish Version of the Death Depression Scale-Revised Among Nurses

The study aimed to establish the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Death Depression Scale-Revised (DDS-R) with a sample of 284 nurses. Cronbach's coefficient for the whole scale was .909 and the sub-dimension values were calculated as .934, .798, .715, and .537. The test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be .880. The content validity index (CVI) of the scale was calculated as .86. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that 62.254% variance was explained in 4 sub-dimensions of the scale (existential vacuum, death emptiness, other death, death sadness). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a four-dimensional structure yielded a good fit (X2/df = 3.124, RMSEA = .087). TDDS-R was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool in determining the death depression levels of nurses.

Death anxiety in connection to anxiety and depressive disorders: A meta-analysis on emotional distress in clinical and community samples

Awareness of one's mortality bears noteworthy implications on psychological functioning, proposing death anxiety as a transdiagnostic construct, with connections to psychopathology. The present meta-analysis investigates the relationship between death anxiety, depression, and anxiety disorders, as well as in symptomatology labeled as emotional distress. A random-effects model was used for extracting the effect size from 105 selected studies, comprising both clinical and community samples (N = 11,803). Results revealed a large overall effect size, g = 1.47 (95% CI [1.27; 1.67]), and a higher effect size favoring anxiety disorders. The instruments evaluating death anxiety and the presence of chronic conditions moderated the relationship. A higher effect size was observed for instruments other than Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, and for participants with chronic/terminal illness compared to healthy samples. Overall, the results highlight the need for a transdiagnostic perspective on death anxiety, as well as for reaching a consensus regarding its conceptualization and measurement.

Who is really at risk? The contribution of death anxiety in suicide risk and loneliness among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Isolation and quarantine imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the age-related risk for depression and suicide. However, not all older adults endure the same distress levels. We aimed to identify those at higher risk of depression, perceived loneliness, and suicide, comparing self-reports of depression, loneliness, suicide risk, and death anxiety among 277 participants in three age groups recruited through social media. Older adults reported fewer depression symptoms and lower distress levels but greater suicide risk. Death anxiety was found predictive of depression and suicidality, offering an important criterion for assessing who is really at risk among the non-homogeneous group of older adults.

Death distress constructs: A preliminary empirical examination of the Farsi form in nurses: A brief note

Aim

Death distress can increase mental health problems. The aim of the present study was to develop a measure of death distress and evaluate the reliability of this Death Distress Scale-Farsi (DDS-F) among nurses. The hypotheses were that death distress has three components and that the DDS-F would have desirable psychometric properties.

Design

A descriptive cross-sectional study.

Methods

A convenience sample of 106 Iranian nurses from two hospitals at Tehran city, Iran was recruited. They completed the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), the Death Depression Scale (DDS) and the Death Obsession Scale (DOS).

Results

Cronbach's α for the DDS-F was 0.71. As expected, the DDS-F had three independent components: death obsession, death depression and death anxiety. A principle component analysis with a varimax rotation of the DDS-F items identified three factors accounting for 66.13% of the variance. Factor 1 was labelled "Death Obsession" (31.3% of the variance), Factor 2 was labelled "Death Depression" (21.9% of the variance), and Factor 3 was labelled "Death Anxiety" (12.8% of the variance).

Discussion

Death distress has three components: death obsession, death depression and death anxiety. The DDS-F which measures these has good psychometric properties, and it can be used in hospital settings to assess death distress among Iranian nurses.

Transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties of Chinese version of Death Depression Scale-Revised among nursing students

The study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Death Depression Scale in a sample of 391 nursing students. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.91, ranging from 0.65 to 0.91 for each subscale. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory (r = 0.821). Overall content validity index was 0.83. An exploratory factor analysis yielded 5 factors: anergia and anhedonia, death sadness, other death, death emptiness, and death vacuum. The model had an acceptable fit, with all factors loading greater than 0.5. Results provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the measure in nursing student populations.

The effectiveness of 8A model death education on the reduction of death depression: A preliminary study

Aim

Death education using the 8A model can reduce death distress and promote mental health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the 8A model death education programme for reducing death depression among nurses. The hypothesis was that participating in the 8A model death education programme would reduce death depression.

Design

A pre-test-post-test intervention.

Methods

Ten nurses were selected randomly from the intensive care units and critical care units wards of the Khatom-Al-Anbia General Hospital in Tehran, Iran. They completed the Death Depression Scale before and after intervention. The 8A model was conducted in six workshops weekly, each of 6 hr, for a total of 36 hr.

Results

There was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test on the Death Depression Scale scores.

Discussion

The 8A model appears to be useful for the reduction of death depression and the promotion of mental health in the sample. However, the model should be tested on larger samples and with a control group before concluding that the model is effective in reducing death distress.

Effects of Death Anxiety on Perceived Stress in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis and the Role of Self-Transcendence

Stress is a commonly reported concern of individuals with chronical diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). This study sought to investigate the relationships between self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress among individuals with MS from Iran. A second aim of the study was to assess the buffering effect of self-transcendence in the relationship between death anxiety and perceived stress. Two hundred and fifteen participants with MS from four hospitals completed measures assessing self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress. Using structural equation modeling, death anxiety was found to be positively related to perceived stress. In addition, there was a negative relationship between self-transcendence and perceived stress. Results of the study suggest that self-transcendence is a buffer in the link between death anxiety and perceived stress for individuals with MS. The findings demonstrate the importance of self-transcendence in decreasing the effects of death anxiety on perceived stress and have clinical implications for health professionals.

Structure of Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety With Chinese College Students: A Bifactor Approach

The Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA), as one of the most widely used measures of death anxiety (DA), has increasingly been applied in many studies. However, the structures derived from different studies are highly inconsistent. In this study, both traditional and novel (bifactor) modeling approaches were used, to investigate the most optimal structure of the ASDA in a sample of 984 Chinese college students. After a series of comparisons, the results showed that the bifactor model, with a dominant general DA factor and three distinct sub-dimensions, was the most optimal measurement structure, and measurement invariance of this bifactor model between sexes was also confirmed. Based on the implications of this bifactor model, the discussion was focused mainly on whether distinct dimensions should be interpreted or not. Some strengths and limitations of the study were also discussed at the end of the paper.

The Farsi translation, reliability and validity of the Death Concern Scale

INTRODUCTION

Death concern is a conscious contemplation of the reality of death combined with a negative evaluation of that reality. The Death Concern Scale (DCS) is related to thinking, and death fear or anxiety about death. The aim of the present study was to develop a Farsi version of the DCS and to explore its psychometric properties in a sample of Iranian nurses.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the reliability, validity, and factorial structure of the Farsi version of the DCS in a convenience sample of 106 Iranian nurses in two hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The nurses completed the DCS, the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLFDS), the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), the Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS), the Death Depression Scale (DDS), and the Death Obsession Scale (DOS).

RESULTS

For the DCS, Cronbach's α was 0.77, the Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.63, the Guttman split-half coefficient 0.62, and two-week test-retest reliability 0.77. The DCS correlated at 0.51 with the CLFDS, 0.52 with the DAS, 0.34 with the RDFS, 0.40 with the DDS, and 0.48 with the DOS, indicating good construct and criterion-related validity. The results of an exploratory factor analysis for the DCS identified seven factors, accounting for 64.30% of the variance and indicating considerable heterogeneity in the content of the items.

CONCLUSIONS

The Farsi version of the DCS has good validity and reliability, and it can be used in clinical, educational, and research settings to assess death concerns in the Iranian society.

Validation of the Farsi version of the Death Obsession Scale among nurses

OBJECTIVES

Obsession is one of the important aspects in death distress. The objective of this study was to estimate the reliability, validity, and factorial structure of the Farsi version of the Death Obsession Scale (DOS).

METHODS

A convenience sample of 106 Iranian nurses from two hospitals at Tehran city, Iran was recruited. They completed the DOS, Death Concern Scale, Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale, Death Anxiety Scale, Reasons for Death Fear Scale, and Death Depression Scale.

RESULTS

Cronbach's α for the DOS was 0.95, and 2-week test-retest reliability was 0.74. The DOS correlated 0.48, 0.46, 0.47, 0.39 and 0.44 with the last mentioned scales, respectively (P < 0.01), indicating good construct and criterion-related validity. Principle components analysis of the DOS identified three factors accounted for 74.82% of the variance. Factor 1 labeled "Death rumination" (34.78% of the variance), Factor 2 labeled "Death dominance" (29.65% of the variance), and Factor 3 labeled "Death idea repetition" (10.38% of the variance).

CONCLUSIONS

The DOS has good validity and reliability, and it could be recommended for use in clinical and research settings to assess the death obsession in Iranian nurses.

Psychometric characteristics of the Reasons for Death Fear Scale among Iranian nurses

OBJECTIVES

Death fear is the main subject in thanatology. Several researchers have defined different reasons for fear of death. This study aimed to explore the performance of the Farsi version of the Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS) among a convenience sample of Iranian nurses (n = 106).

METHODS

The nurses were selected by the convenience sampling method and were asked to complete the RDFS, Death Concern Scale, Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale, Death Anxiety Scale, Death Depression Scale, and Death Obsession Scale.

RESULTS

For the RDFS, the Cronbach's a coefficient was 0.90, and the 2-week test-retest reliability was 0.64. The RDFS was correlated at 0.34, 0.39, 0.50, 0.35, and 0.39 to the above-mentioned five scales, indicating its good construct and criterion-related validity. Based on the exploratory factor analysis, the RDFS-identified four factors accounted for 66.20% of the variance and were labeled as "Fear of Pain and Punishment," "Fear of Losing Worldly Involvements," "Religious Transgressions and Failures," and "Parting from Loved Ones."

CONCLUSIONS

The RDFS presents good validity and reliability and can be used in clinical and research settings in Iran.

Cronbach's α reliability, concurrent validity, and factorial structure of the Death Depression Scale in an Iranian hospital staff sample

OBJECTIVE

Death depression is an important component in the process of death and dying. Death depression is the second element of death. Depression is one of the important features in death distress. The aim of this study was to explore the performance of the Farsi version of the Death Depression Scale with an Iranian convenience sample of nurses (n = 106).

METHODS

Nurses were selected using a convenience sampling method, and completed the Death Depression Scale (DDS), Death Concern Scale (DCS), Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLFDS), Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS), Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), and Death Obsession Scale (DOS).

RESULTS

The results of exploratory factor analysis on DDS identified 4 factors (56.16% of variance). Factor 1 labeled "Death sadness", Factor 2 labeled "Death finality/end and Death dread/fear", Factor 3 labeled "Death despair and Death depression", and Factor 4 labeled "Death loneliness". Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.84, Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.85, and Guttman Split-Half coefficient 0.81 The DDS correlated 0.40 with the DCS, 0.39 with the CLFDS, 0.50 with the DAS, 0.35 with the RDFS, and 0.44 with the DOS, indicating good construct and criterion-related validity. Concurrent validity for the DDS with the other scales were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The DDS has good validity and reliability, and it can use in clinical and research settings.

Death Anxiety, Reliability, Validity, and Factorial Structure of the Farsi Form of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety in Iranian Old-Aged Persons

The present study is aimed at examining the level of death anxiety and the sex-related differences among old-aged Iranian individuals sample to compare the old-aged persons with young college students and to explore the psychometric properties of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA) factors in old-aged sample. A sample of 146 volunteer Iranian individuals took part in the study. The mean ages were 68.58 (SD = 7.10), men 68.81 (SD = 7.44) and women 68.28 (SD = 6.76), respectively. The mean score of the ASDA was 51.09 (SD = 20.19). Cronbach's alpha of the ASDA was found to be high (0.94); and Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.92. Women had a significantly higher mean total score on the ASDA. Old-aged individuals had a significantly higher mean ASDA total score than younger college students (M age = 25.77). The factor analysis of the ASDA items yielded three factors accounting for 67.88% of the total variance labeled (F1) fear of dead people and tombs; (F2) fear of lethal disease and postmortem events; and (F3) death fear. These factors were highly replicable with previous factors extracted from a middle-aged Kuwaiti sample. On the basis of the present results, there are the following three general conclusions: death anxiety is not significantly correlated with age; the sex-related differences on death anxiety are striking in the Iranian samples; and the ASDA has a highly replicable factor structure among two Iranian and Arab countries.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety Scale among College Students

INTRODUCTION

Although death anxiety is considered a universal phenomenon, attitudes toward death may vary across populations that differ in terms of religion and culture. Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety Scale (ASDA) was developed on the basis of the rationale that there are specific concepts related to death and after death in Muslim populations. This study aims to translate and adapt ASDA in the Turkish population, examine its validity and reliability, and to compare its psychometric properties with the widely used Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS).

METHODS

A total of 220 medical students were included in the study. The Turkish version of ASDA, DAS, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used for data collection.

RESULTS

Cronbach's alpha coefficients were .86 for ASDA and .66 for DAS. Analysis by principal components with varimax rotation produced five factors for ASDA that explained 65.6% of total variance. ASDA and DAS were highly correlated with each other (r=.68, p<.001).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that the Turkish version of Abdel-Khalek's Death Anxiety Scale is a reliable and valid instrument. The Turkish version of ASDA revealed better psychometric properties than DAS. This finding may reflect specific cultural and religious attitudes toward death or may result from more comprehensible language use in ASDA.